BIRDS hub is Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment hub which is an in-country network and alliance of suppliers led by Boeing in India that envisions a competitive MRO ecosystem
9 February 2021: Boeing recently announced strategic agreements with Air Works for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of two key Boeing defense platforms in India, the P-8I operated by the Indian Navy (IN) and the VIP transport fleet operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
This collaboration is an important first step under its recently launched initiative, the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub, which is an in-country network and alliance of suppliers led by Boeing in India that envisions a competitive MRO ecosystem for engineering, maintenance, skilling, repair and sustainment services of defense and commercial aircraft. The hub aims to grow capabilities in India in the areas of heavy maintenance, component repairs, training and skilling of IAF and IN maintainers.
“This strategic agreement with Air Works positions us to generate significant value for our defense customers locally by delivering faster turnaround, exceptional operational capability and mission readiness on Boeing aircraft. This is an important step in our commitment to the government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of developing India as an MRO hub,” said Surendra Ahuja, managing director, Boeing Defence India.
“The strategic collaboration with Boeing transforms our existing relationship into a new, enriched avatar. In this new decade, the growing international recognition and enhanced dimensions of our collaboration are testament to our demonstrated expertise in the defense and aerospace domain. We are proud to be the first Indian company to partner Boeing as part of its Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub initiative and we remain excited, committed and privileged to have been chosen to work with them on such prestigious and critical projects that build as well as test India’s indigenous MRO capabilities,” said D Anand Bhaskar, MD & CEO, Air Works.
An important aspect of the hub is training programs to increase skilled manpower by developing sub-tier suppliers and medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to build high quality MRO capabilities in India.
