Wadia group to set up aircraft engineering JV with SIA

Mumbai, Apr 28 (UNI) The Wadia group, promoters of low-cost airline GoAir, today announced plans to set up four new business ventures associated with aviation: engineering, cargo, training and ground handling.

For one, it is close to signing a joint venture with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company for setting up an independent aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India.

The Wadia family is also planning to establish three other aviation related ventures focusing on cargo services, ground handling and personnel training.

''All these four ventures will be new, stand-alone business and independent of the airline GoAir,'' said the start-up carrier's Managing Director Jehangir Wadia. ''These will be strategic investments with outside partners where the ventures will be managed as separate companies with independent management teams.'' He was talking to reporters at the aviation and tourism investor summit organised by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) consultancy firm.

The MRO venture, said Mr Wadia, will be the first one off the ground with an announcement expected in next month. ''It will be a joint venture with SIA Engineering Company. We are in negotiations to finalise the equity sharing and other investment details.'' The venture christened GoEngineering will start operations in the next quarter with multiple location facilities, offering maintenance solutions for both Airbus and Boeing planes.

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