Air India Grounds Turkish Deal, Shifts Aircraft Maintenance Elsewhere

According to CEO Campbell Wilson, Air India aims to shift operations to alternative Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in order to lessen its need for Turkish Technic for the maintenance of its wide-body aircraft. Given current geopolitical events surrounding Turkiye, the action was taken.

Turkiye denounced India's anti-terror efforts and expressed solidarity for Pakistan in May. On May 15, the Turkish business Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd had its security clearance revoked by India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), which cited "national security" concerns.

IndiGo was then given a last three-month extension by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on May 30 to continue operating two damp-leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines. The lease must be terminated before August 31 in order for the extension to remain in effect.

In response to enquiries about Air India's continued use of Turkish technology for wide-body aircraft maintenance, Wilson emphasised the airline's responsiveness to public opinion and geopolitical changes while pointing out the global nature of aviation supply chains.

"We are obviously sensitive to the national sentiment and perhaps the national wishes, but it does take a while to adjust when the circumstances change around us," Wilson said. "So, regardless of which country we are talking about, we would clearly take cognisance of what people like us to do and expect us to do," Wilson stated in an interview to media news agency.

Air India Relying Heavily on Turkish Technic

Currently, Turkish Technic does extensive maintenance on a subset of Air India's Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft.

 According to Wilson, until local capacity is established, Air India will temporarily reroute aircraft in need of MRO services to facilities in the US, the Middle East, South East Asia, and, on a limited basis, still to Turkish Technic.

He went on to say that in light of this latest development, Air India will try to reevaluate the locations of its planes, send less to Turkiye, and send them elsewhere. "But that does take some time because aircraft have to be maintained... We are cognisant of recent developments, and we will look to adjust our plans," he stated.

Air India Witnessing Substantial Growth

Wilson claims that after its privatisation, Air India has seen significant expansion in its passenger and freight operations.

While the revenue from passengers has doubled over this period, the revenue from the cargo segment has more than tripled.

He said that Air India is a lot more credible a participant in the cargo industry because of its vast potential, non-stop service into major areas across the world, increased focus on cargo, improved systems, and more consistent product delivery. There's a big upside potential.