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IndiGo Airlines on Tuesday commenced the construction of a world-class Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
The project is expected to be completed and fully functional by the beginning of the year 2028. IndiGo will build one of India's largest MROs on 31 acres of land recently allocated by Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL). According to a statement, this facility will be three times bigger compared to the combined capacity of the airline's MROs in Delhi and Bengaluru. The new MRO facility will have a capacity of up to 12 bays and the capability to handle both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. This facility is expected to be a significant hub for IndiGo's aircraft maintenance operations, enhancing aircraft availability, cost efficiency, and turnaround times. The project also aims to strengthen the aerospace and defence ecosystem in Karnataka. IndiGo had signed the MOU with BIAL for the allocation of land in May 2025, and commenced construction in just two months, showing the airline's vigorous strides towards creating a self-reliant aviation ecosystem in the country. "This facility will also create over a thousand jobs across engineers, technicians and several more, further contributing towards nation building," the statement added. Pieter Elbers, IndiGo's CEO, said, "We are very excited as we commence the project to build this grand MRO facility in Bengaluru. This also strengthens our operational presence in Bengaluru, which is one of our largest bases with over 200 daily flights. This is also an important step towards shaping the future of Indian aviation by developing a holistic aviation ecosystem in the nation." With more than 400 aircraft in its fleet, a dedicated MRO facility will give a significant advantage to IndiGo in terms of aircraft availability, greater cost efficiencies and quicker turnaround, benefiting the airline and its customers. Further, the development of the new MRO facility will help strengthen the aerospace and defence ecosystem in Karnataka, according to the airline. IndiGo already has one MRO facility each in Delhi and Bengaluru. The ground breaking ceremony was attended by government dignitaries along with airport and airline leadership including IAS officer Gunjan Krishna and Karnataka government's Commissioner of Industries; Pieter Elbers, IndiGo Chief Executive Officer; Hari Marar, BIAL Chief Executive Officer; Isidre Porqueras, IndiGo Chief Operating Officer; Satyaki Raghunath, BIAL Chief Operating Officer, and Parichay Datta, IndiGo's Senior Vice President for Engineering. (ANI)
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