Air India Inks Airline Maintenance Pact With Honeywell

Air India has signed a long-term agreement with Honeywell Automation India Ltd. for the maintenance of its auxiliary power units for existing and new aircraft fleet.

The APU is a critical piece of aircraft equipment that provides electrical power and air conditioning to a plane while it is on the ground. It helps ensure passenger comfort and supplies the air source before a pilot is ready to start the main engines.

The agreement involved providing aftermarket support to Honeywell APUs, which is meant to help the airline reduce unplanned maintenance costs and downtime and, in turn, ensure high aircraft dispatch and fleet availability, according to Honeywell Automation.

"We are strengthening our collaboration with Air India and helping in its fleet modernisation efforts, as part of a long-standing commitment to supporting the carrier's innovation and growth objectives," Ashish Modi, President of Honeywell Automation ndia, said.

Air India currently has over 300 aircrafts, including its legacy fleet, which consists of over 100 Airbus A320, 15 Boeing B777 aircraft and its new fleet of 190 B737-8 aircraft, according to Honeywell.

"This agreement forms part of our global growth and transformation plans, to help achieve more efficient, reliable operations, with maximised fleet availability, through Honeywell's advanced technology services," Sisira Kanta Dash, chief technical officer of Air India said.

(With Inputs From PTI)