India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted approval for Air Works to do heavy maintenance checks on Boeing 737s and the Indian maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) firm has also applied for EASA approval.
The firm says in a statement the DGCA has granted it approval to do heavy maintenance checks on Boeing 737-600/700/800/900 aircraft fitted with CFM International engines.
It also says it has applied for EASA approval as a JAR 145 repair station and anticipates EASA will audit it within the next 60 days.
"We look forward to working with India and neighbouring Boeing 737 operators on their airframe maintenance requirements," Air Works CEO, Fredrik Groth, says in the statement.
Using Air Works in India means local carriers can "eliminate the need for costly overseas aircraft ferrying," he adds.
The firms says in its statement it has DGCA approval to do heavy maintenance checks on ATR 72s and adds that it has just performed its first 'C-check' on one of Kingfisher Airlines' ATR 72s. Air Works recently announced it had signed an agreement with India's Kingfisher to do 'C-checks' on its fleet of ATR 72s.
Air Works, which was established in 1951, has traditionally maintained general aviation aircraft but last year it branched into commercial MRO.
Groth says the firm has just employed Todd Hattaway as VP of maintenance.
Hattaway formerly worked in technical and operations at Delta Air Lines and was previously VP of maintenance at a firm in the USA that maintained a fleet of about 140 business aviation aircraft across seven locations, he says.
Air Works' commercial MRO business is based in Hosur where it has one hangar that can fit one 737 or two ATRs. It says it will be building one widebody hangar that will ne ready early next year.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news