Air India Crash Exposes Deep Fault Lines In Aviation Sector

For India’s aviation industry, June 12 felt for illustration nan time nan euphony died.

The assemblage had been soaring — buoyed by mega craft orders, eager location connectivity schemes, rising backstage investment, and a dream that “a personification wearing ‘hawai chappal’ will alert successful an aeroplane.”

But nan clang of what was erstwhile considered ‘un-crashable’ — a Boeing 787 Dreamliner — successful Ahmedabad has punched superior holes successful nan nation’s aviation infrastructure.

Black Box

The Black Box—comprising nan Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) — of Air India formation 171 was recovered connected June 13, a time aft nan crash.

The instrumentality has suffered extended damage, and nan Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) laboratory astatine Udaan Bhawan, Delhi, will activity connected retrieving nan information. The lab, billed arsenic a ₹9-crore "state-of-the-art" facility, was inaugurated conscionable 2 months ago. In nan arena that it fails to retrieve nan data, nan Black Box whitethorn beryllium sent to nan United States for decoding. .

Maintenance Infra

India’s aviation ambitions are besides being undermined by inadequate Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) infrastructure — particularly for wide-body aircraft.

While awesome players for illustration Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), GMR Aero Technic, and Tata Advanced Systems person a beardown beingness successful nan MRO space, astir of their expertise is centered connected narrow-body craft for illustration nan Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

There is simply a superior shortage of accommodation equipped to grip wide-body craft and nan latest procreation of engines. In addition, galore existing MROs request awesome upgrades to meet world standards. Industry insiders besides constituent to a deficiency of skilled engineers and precocious import duties connected basal spare parts.

Air India past twelvemonth began activity connected an MRO installation astatine nan Bengaluru International Airport. The hose has roped successful its partner Singapore Airlines’ attraction and engineering limb SIAEC for nan venture. Once complete later this year, nan facility, dispersed complete 35 acres, will supply guidelines attraction and various services for its full fleet.

But, for now, Indian carriers proceed to trust heavy connected overseas accommodation for awesome repairs — delaying turnarounds and raising costs.

‘Make successful India’ Turbulence… Or Takeoff?

Efforts are underway to alteration this picture. Recent Union Budgets person rolled retired incentives for nan aviation sector, and India is gradually uncovering a foothold successful nan world aerospace proviso chain.

Here are immoderate agleam spots:

· Airframe & Wing Parts: Firms for illustration Aequs, Dynamatic Technologies, Gardner, and Mahindra Aerospace proviso parts for nan Airbus A320neo, A330neo, and A350 programs.

· Cargo Doors: Tata Advanced Systems manufactures cargo and bulk cargo doors for nan A320neo.

· Rear Fuselage: Dynamatic Technologies has tied up pinch Deutsche Aircraft to nutrient nan rear fuselage for nan D328eco location turboprop.

· Helicopter Fuselages: Tata (in business pinch Boeing) is making fuselages for Apache helicopters, while Mahindra Aerostructures is building those for Airbus’ H130.

· Composite Parts: Boeing sources high-end composite parts from its Bengaluru installation to support its world proviso chain.

India’s craft components marketplace touched $16.22 cardinal successful 2024, and is projected to astir double by 2033, propelled by localisation drives, argumentation support, and increasing world partnerships. Over $2 cardinal worthy of components are exported annually to world giants for illustration Airbus and Boeing—thanks to Indian MSMEs and aerospace start-ups.

The Dreamliner clang has jolted India’s aviation assemblage retired of its comfortableness zone. As nan state intends for nan skies, it must further fortify nan crushed it takes disconnected from.