French aerospace firm seeks to build facility near Noida airport

Yeida said that the firm also wants to open a skill development centre in UP in collaboration with the ministries of skill development and defence

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) on Tuesday said French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has expressed its interest with the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility near the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar and skill university.

The company has decided to set up an MRO facility within a 1,365-hectare area designated in the second phase of the Noida International Airport project, which includes the development of an aviation hub including Centre of Excellence. (Sunil Ghosh/HT File)

“The proposed facility has an objective to service military and civil aircrafts. Dassault will also set up a Centre of Excellence to offer aviation-related courses and apprenticeships. We will evaluate the proposal and have initiated communication with Dassault to assess their land requirements,” said Yeida chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh.

The company has decided to set up an MRO facility within a 1,365-hectare area designated in the second phase of the Noida International Airport project, which includes the development of an aviation hub including Centre of Excellence.

YEIDA said that the firm also wants to open a skill development centre in UP in collaboration with the ministries of skill development and defence.

“They plan to set up a civil and military MRO. Their plan is to offer an aeronautical syllabus at the high school, intermediate level and at the graduation level skilled diplomas of two to three years. They want to set up a Skill university exclusively for MRO. We have written a letter to Dassault seeking their land requirement in specific so that we can arrange the required land. They want to skill and employ trained professionals at their MRO facility,” said Singh.

According to studies, the MRO industry in India was $1.7 billion in 2021 and is likely to grow to $7 billion by 2030, said Yeida officials.

The Uttar Pradesh government has introduced an MRO policy offering subsidies and ease in setting up MRO facilities in the state.

The establishment of the MRO facility and the Centre of Excellence is expected to bolster the regional economy and create employment opportunities in the aviation sector, officials said.