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Air India plans to reassign jet maintenance work from Turkish firm amid diplomatic strain
Air India CEO said they will recalibrate aircraft are sent, reduce the amount that being sent to Turkiye and send it to other places for maintenance and repair.
Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said on Sunday the carrier plans to shift the heavy maintenance of its wide-body aircraft from Turkish Technic to other global MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) providers, in light of recent geopolitical developments involving Turkiye.
The move comes after the Indian government took a firm stance against Turkiye, following its public support for Pakistan and condemnation of India's counter-terrorism strikes in May under ‘Operation Sindoor’.
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On May 15, aviation security regulator BCAS revoked the security clearance of Turkish ground handling firm Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, citing "interest of national security."
Adding to the strain, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on May 30 granted a final three-month extension to IndiGo for operating two Turkish Airlines Boeing 777s under a damp lease, directing the airline to terminate the lease by August 31.
What Air India CEO said
Asked about Air India's continued use of Turkish Technic for wide-body aircraft maintenance, Wilson emphasised in a PTI news agency interview the complexity of global aviation logistics.
"It does take a while to adjust when the circumstances change around us but we are obviously sensitive to the national sentiment and perhaps the national wishes. 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," PTI quoted the Air India CEO as saying.
Air India's wide-body Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft currently undergo heavy maintenance at Turkish Technic facilities. However, Wilson said the airline is now actively working to reduce its dependence on Turkiye and redirect maintenance operations to other international locations.
Also Read: Why Turkish firm Celebi aviation's licence was revoked by India
“With this most recent development, we will look to recalibrate where we send our aircraft, reduce the amount that we are sending to Turkiye and send it to other places,” he said.
"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 said.
In the short term, Air India will continue to send some aircraft for MRO works overseas, including to facilities in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the United States, while gradually scaling up domestic capacity for such services.
The airline currently operates a fleet of 191 aircraft, including 64 wide-body planes.
