October 18, 2007 -- American aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (P&W) plans to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India to tap the fast growing civil aviation industry. The multinational company is now assessing what type of aircraft engine the MRO should deal with. P&W is now increasing its MROs across the world to 24 from 22 now. By the end of next year, it would open an MRO facility at Shanghai in China and another one in Istanbul in Turkey in partnership with Turkish Airlines.
"We had exploratory talks with Kingfisher Airlines but no concrete development has yet taken place. We may put up an MRO on our own or may support an organisation to establish that," P&W president Stephen N Finger said.
The company also plans to double its business from India to $60 millions in the next three to four years. Along with its engineering and manufacturing partners such as Infotech, L&T and Tata, the multinational has annual business of $30 million per annum in India now. P&W is also eyeing the defence market here. Engines manufactured by the company power military aircraft like F-16s and fifth-generation fighters like F-22s and F-35s, apart from civilian planes like Airbus A-380s, ATR turboprop aircraft and helicopters. It has also been selected by NASA's space shuttle replacement programme. In India, about 286 P&W engines are fitted on aircraft owned by Air India, Kingfisher, Air Deccan, JetLite, GoAir and IndiGo. Aircraft operated by some air cargo firms and SARAS project of the National Aeronautical Laboratory also use P&W engines.
Source: The Economic Times
