Boeing and GMR Aero Technic have signed an agreement for the installation of a new 737 freighter conversion line. GMR has its own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangars at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad (HYS), India.
The agreement between the U.S. manufacturer and the MRO service promises to meet the growing demand for narrow-body freighter aircraft. From the Hyderabad conversion line, backlog orders in India and the region will be fulfilled.
«To start with, we will use one of our existing lines for this purpose. We are open to adding an additional line in the future, depending on demand,» Ashok Gopinath, CEO of GMR Aero Technic, told The Indian Express media outlet.
This announcement was made after Air India placed a large aircraft order with Boeing and Airbus for a total of 220 passenger aircraft. This partnership allows Boeing to enter the Indian market, which is one of the largest in the world and is currently growing.
GMR will initially work with 737s, but does not rule out the possibility of extending its work to wide-body aircraft.
Air cargo in India
Boeing is studying the air cargo segment in India, where demand is expected to grow by 6.3% annually. This growth is driven by the pivotal role of e-commerce, as well as an increase in the manufacturing sector.
Salil Gupte said that around 1,200 narrow-body cargo aircraft will be needed over the next two decades. Some 600 aircraft are expected to meet demand from Asia and Africa. As highlighted in the previous paragraph, Gupte also emphasizes the leading role of e-commerce.
