Nagpur: After remaining grounded in Nagpur for the last two years, 16 out of the 20 A320 neo aircraft have taken off gradually with replaced Pratt and Whitney engines. The remaining four are expected to go in another six months or so, said sources. The planes were parked at the AAR Indamer Technics aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) depot in the Mihan-SEZ, where the new engines were fitted. The MRO here is one of the places where the grounded aircraft were kept throughout the country. The planes here largely belonged to Indigo Airlines, for which Indamer carries out maintenance and overhaul. The aircraft had to wait until new engines arrived and were fitted at the MRO here, said sources and added that the process is much more streamlined now. “It is hoped the rest of the planes will fly off within the expected time,” they said. Recently, the Indamer MRO also painted and retrofitted 12 aircraft belonging to Air India using the latest colours the airline’s fleet sports now. Meanwhile, next door, Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) is preparing to have a test flight of the Boeing 777 aircraft grounded on its premises for the last six years. The aircraft, which was supposed to fly back in a month after it landed at the MRO in February 2020 for a regular check, stayed back for different reasons. Ultimately, a number of components in it were fitted in other aircraft that came for maintenance at the MRO. The plane is set to have a test flight shortly, said sources.
