A-I enters into 12-yr pact with SIA Engineering Co for A320 family planes

Air India has entered into a 12-year agreement with SIA Engineering Company Ltd for extensive component support coverage for the airline's A320 family planes.

"Under this 12-year agreement, Air India Group's current fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft will receive extensive component support coverage from SIAEC.

"Besides access to its inventory pool, SIAEC (together with its subsidiaries and joint venture companies with Original Equipment Manufacturers) will also provide repair and overhaul services for airframe and on-wing engine component," the airline said in a release on Wednesday.

Air India has inked an agreement with SIAEC for Inventory Technical Management (ITM).

Currently, Air India has around 60 planes from the A320 family, including 320s and 321s, in its total fleet of 123 aircraft.

It has also placed an order for 210 A320 family aircraft.

Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Campbell Wilson said the collaboration will further bolster our repairs and maintenance competencies for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft and enhance reliability and availability of components for aircraft operations.

SIAEC Chief Executive Officer Chin Yau Seng said, "we are honoured to be selected as Air India Group's preferred MRO partner for the component requirements and appreciative of their confidence in our Inventory Technical Management programme".

"Together with our network of joint venture companies and component shops located across the Asia Pacific region, we are confident to deliver a high quality and reliable service to Air India Group," he added.

SIAEC is part of the Singapore Airlines Group.

The proposed merger of Vistara with Tata Group-owned Air India under a deal, wherein Singapore Airlines will acquire a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India that was announced in November 2022, is in progress.

Full service carrier Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.