Growth in the domestic aviation industry will need around 5,000 aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) in the next five years, according to GMR Aero Technic, an airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul firm. Such a large fleet will require enhanced domestic aviation MRO services, for which a large number of AMEs will be required. With the need for trained manpower for its own MRO business and the industry at large, GMR Aero Technic plans to launch AME courses through the ‘GMR School of Aviation’.
“To train such large numbers of engineers, GMR Aero Technic has entered the skill development segment,” Ashok Gopinath, president and accountable manager of GMR Aero Technic, told FE. The institute plans to launch the first courses by mid-July. It will offer a globally recognised four-year programme, including two years of academic study and two years of on-the-job training (OJT) in MRO, along with type training.
It is estimated that India’s MRO industry will grow from $1.7 billion in FY22 to $4 billion by FY31. Besides, the MRO work coming in from the defence and foreign airlines will require a significant number of engineers. According to Gopinath, the skilling of domestic manpower will reduce imported MRO services and increase the country’s share in the MRO segment.
Currently, over 50% of aviation MRO services are imported due to a significant shortage of skilled manpower, further exacerbated by the opening of the defence sector to civil MRO services.
(The writer was in Hyderabad at the invitation of GMR Aero Technic)