BANGALORE: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) will set up India's first Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre for aviation in the city to cater to the needs of the expanding fleet of new and old private airlines, HAL Managing Director A.K. Saxena said here on Wednesday.

Mr. Saxena, who addressed a seminar on "Karnataka can do it" organised by the All India Manufacturers' Organisation, said the MRO facility will cater to the needs of ATR and Airbus 329 aircraft. Kingfisher Airlines and low-cost airliner, Air Deccan, will partner with HAL to establish the MRO centre, along with certain foreign players, Mr. Saxena said.

He said the facility will be equipped for aircraft modification and conversion of passenger aircraft to freighter planes.

Quoting an in-house estimation, he said the country has 218 aircraft in the civil aviation arena. This will triple to 601 aircraft in the next five years, he said.

LCA production

About the ongoing HAL projects, Mr. Saxena said the indigenously designed and developed light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas, under series production, will be ready this year.

On the offset business, he referred to the Rs. 8,500-crore investment likely to be made by Boeing as part of its sale of 68 aircraft to Air India, for various projects.

Minister for Science and Technology Ramachandra Gowda inaugurated the seminar.

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