KATHMANDU, MAY 3
Air Works, India's largest independent aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company, has joined hands with Siris Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Pvt Ltd (SAMRO) to provide line maintenance services to international carriers at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Commenting on its SAARC expansion, D Anand Bhaskar, managing director and CEO of Air Works Group, said, "For long, our key international customers had been requesting us to expand our services footprint in the region and today we are extremely happy to have been able to take this first step in association with Siris Aircraft MRO. The development is also welltimed from a market perspective, given the strong revival in air traffic and the enhancement of aviation infrastructure in Nepal. We believe that this launch could lay the foundation for expanding the scope of our current collaboration with Siris to other airports and other operators in Nepal, which could eventually lead to an enhancement in the scope of services beyond the current transit/ daily/ weekly checks."
He further said, "The extension of our operational footprint into Nepal reflects Air Works' strong and positive customer relationships that have been built over a decade and are underscored by a philosophy of trust, reliability, mutual understanding, and cooperation."
Reports indicate that international passenger traffic in Nepal has rebounded to near pre-COVID levels, registering an increase of 141 per cent from 2021, primarily driven by gains in tourism.
Similarly, Arun Malla, executive chairman of Siris Aircraft MRO, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with Air Works to offer line maintenance services from the Tribhuvan International Airport. The association will not only expand our market proposition but will also enrich our culture and strengthen our work practices, which will help us to be in sync with global service delivery benchmarks. With Air Works now at Kathmandu, incoming international carriers to the airport can be sure of 'flying assured', underlining the country's commitment to safety. With burgeoning air traffic, Kathmandu and other emerging airports in Nepal represent a cradle of opportunities, and beginning with line services, we intend to leverage and enlarge our relationship gradually and cover the entire country."
Currently, over 30 leading international airlines fly to/from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to more than 45 destinations throughout Asia and the Middle East. Even as Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) - Nepal's second major airport - began international operations last year, Tribhuvan International Airport continues to be the country's hub for international carriers.
As part of the agreement, Air Works would be extending its entire gamut of approvals covering Boeing (737/767/777/787 family), Airbus (319/320/321/330/350 family), and ATR 42/72 (500/600) aircraft to the new station. The new venture has already roped in a leading Middle Eastern airline as its first customer.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
