AI’s Kerala maintenance base to open in 2008

Bangalore: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of Air India’s maintenance base near the Thiruvananthapuram airport. It would be the second-largest maintenance base after Mumbai.
It would be built on a 15-acre plot gifted to Air India by the Kerala government and have the facility to carry out major checks on the B-737-800 aircraft of its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express’. The national flag carrier will also be building hangars for line checks of other aircraft types, like the B747-400s and A-310s.
Air India officials said the project, which is estimated at Rs 50 crore, would be completed in 18 months after the construction begins.
This is Air India’s fourth base in India, The other three are in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.
Air India opted for Thiruvananthapuram to set up the base on account of the large tract of land near the airport which it got for free.
“At Delhi and Chennai, we carry out only line (minor) checks. Thiruvananthapuram, like Mumbai, will have full-fledged facility for all major checks along with line checks,” informed Venkat.
02/11/06 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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