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The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has awarded Air-India's engine overhaul department (EOD) the ISO 9002 certificate. The department had received the ISO 9001 award the previous year.

The national carrier's engineering facilities has also earned official recognition from the US' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In April, FAA certified Air-India's facilities as a `FAR 145 repair station' for the overhaul of engines and auxiliary power units (APUs), including their accessories.

The ISO 9002 certificate will enable the national carrier to offer overhaul services and accessories to foreign carriers, whose aircraft engines and other components have been registered in the US. This will generate incremental non-operating revenue for the carrier.

 

The registered aviation equipment include Pratt & Whitney 4056, JT9D-7Q and JT8D-9/17 engines, General Electric CF6-50 and CF^-80 engines and auxiliary power units. The award also enables A-I to offer other engineering services such as airframe, instruments and avionics maintenance.

The airline is also in the process of acquiring a JAR-145 certificate from the Joint Aviation Authority of Europe that will allow it to offer its services to European carriers.

At present, the airline's client list includes Kuwait Airways, Blue Dart and Sahara Airlines.

Receiving the award from the BIS director-general P S Das, the civil aviation secretary and A-I chairman, P V Jaykrishna, said since ISO 9002 was valid only up to August 2002, the airline should continue its good work. He said A-I should maintain its reputation of air safety and reliability to survive the competition.