Air India hopes to tap SIAEC’s technical expertise to bolster it’s established airline operations network | Photo Credit: CAROLINE CHIA

Mumbai: Air India and Singapore Airlines’s engineering arm have signed a MoU to set up a joint venture maintenance repair and overhaul unit (MRO).

While the two airlines collaborate in engineering and commercial aspects, the planned MRO would cater to third party business.

At present MROs owned by Adani, GMR and government-owned AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) provide third party services to Indian and overseas carriers.

The MoU was signed on Friday by Air India chief executive officer Campbell Wilson and SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) CEO Chin Yau Seng.

Joint Venture

Air India hopes to tap SIAEC’s technical expertise to bolster it’s established airline operations network and develop a world class MRO ecosystem in India. “This collaboration could include the potential formation of an MRO joint venture in India, serving the increasing needs of the Indian and regional aviation markets,” the companies announced today.

Air India is developing in-house capabilities while relying on its former subsidiary AIESL for its engineering support

Government has earlier initiated steps to divest its stake in AIESL. Road shows were held for purpose of divestment but the proposal was put in abeyance. Air India and Singapore Airlines didn’t comment on participating in the possible stake sale.

MRO Ecosystem

“India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, and the continued development of its MRO capabilities will be an important step in strengthening its position within the global aerospace ecosystem. Through this MOU, we look forward to exploring how SIAEC’s technical expertise can support the progressive build-up of capabilities and capacity in India, alongside our ongoing partnership with Air India,” said Chin Yau Seng, Chief Executive Officer SIAEC.

“India’s rapid aviation growth is driving the need for a stronger, more self-reliant MRO ecosystem within the country. As fleet sizes expand and operations scale up, developing local maintenance capacity will be important to support efficiency, resilience and long-term growth. Partnerships such as this can play a constructive role in enabling that broader direction and developing India as a global aviation hub,” Wilson said.

Published on July 3, 2026