India’s rapidly expanding commercial aircraft fleet is creating a parallel demand for deeper and more responsive engine maintenance capabilities. Against this backdrop, StandardAero and GMR Aero Technic have joined forces to strengthen on-wing engine support for operators across the country.
The companies have signed a Supplier Service Agreement that initially covers on-wing support for narrowbody engine platforms, including the CFM International CFM56-7B, LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B. The partnership brings together StandardAero’s engine aftermarket expertise and GMR Aero Technic’s infrastructure and presence in India.
Supporting a growing engine fleet
The scale of India’s narrowbody fleet makes local engine support increasingly important. The LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines power the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families, respectively. StandardAero estimates that Indian operators have around 1,000 of these engines currently in service, with another 3,200 on order.
At the same time, the CFM56-7B continues to play a significant role in the Indian market, with more than 100 engines still powering Boeing 737NG aircraft.
As airlines add new-generation aircraft while continuing to operate established narrowbody fleets, engine support requirements are becoming more diverse. The StandardAero-GMR Aero Technic agreement is aimed at addressing this requirement by expanding access to on-wing services within India.
From global engine expertise to local support
For StandardAero, the partnership extends an existing relationship with the Indian aviation market. The company already provides engine MRO services to Indian operators for platforms including the LEAP-1B, AE 3007A and PW127.
Its LEAP capabilities have also continued to develop internationally. StandardAero operates as a CFM LEAP Premier MRO provider from its 810,000-square-foot facility in San Antonio, where it supports both the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B.
The company began offering LEAP quick-turn shop visit services in March 2024 and completed the correlation of its first LEAP test cell in November that year, paving the way for performance restoration shop visit inductions.
StandardAero is also building a broader LEAP component repair ecosystem. Through its Component Repair Services network and Repair Development Center of Excellence, the company has industrialised nearly 500 component repairs for the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B.
These capabilities provide the technical foundation for the company’s efforts to expand support closer to operators in markets such as India.
Strengthening India’s MRO ecosystem
For GMR Aero Technic, the agreement represents another step in developing advanced engine support capabilities in the country. By combining its regional infrastructure with StandardAero’s engine aftermarket expertise, the companies aim to create a more responsive on-wing support network for Indian operators.
The partnership also reflects a wider shift in India’s MRO landscape, where growing aircraft numbers are driving demand for capabilities beyond traditional airframe maintenance. Engine services, component repair and specialised on-wing support are becoming increasingly important parts of the country’s aviation aftermarket.
With thousands of LEAP engines expected to enter service with Indian operators, alongside the continuing requirement to support CFM56-powered aircraft, the need for accessible engine maintenance infrastructure is set to remain significant.
The StandardAero-GMR Aero Technic agreement therefore goes beyond a supplier arrangement. It positions local on-wing engine support as another building block in India’s ambition to develop a broader, more capable aircraft MRO ecosystem.
