Officials at the stone-laying ceremony for CIASL’s upcoming MRO hub.
Cochin International Aviation Services Limited (CIASL) has launched a ₹50 crore ($6 million) project to position Kochi, India, as a competitive MRO hub in South Asia.
The development signals a significant stride in regionalizing MRO capabilities, potentially offering an alternative to India’s dependence on overseas MRO facilities in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka.
The project includes the construction of CIASL’s third MRO hangar next to the upcoming CIASL Business Park at Cochin International Airport (COK). The 53,800 ft.2 hangar is being designed to support a variety of platforms, including narrowbodies, business jets, helicopters and seaplanes. It will also feature 7,000 ft.2 of office and workshop space, component repair stations and non-destructive testing capabilities.
The existing hangars at COK can only service one narrowbody at a time, while the new hangar will be able to accommodate two narrowbodies simultaneously, effectively doubling the airport’s maintenance capacity. The hangar will also have direct connectivity to the airport’s runway, enabling aircraft to taxi from the runway to the hangar without complex ground coordination.
CIASL is also introducing the Indian state of Kerala’s first covered aircraft parking facility, an expansive 350,000 ft.2 structure designed to simultaneously accommodate up to 13 narrowbodies. This infrastructure is not merely about capacity; it addresses a critical need for asset protection in regions vulnerable to extreme monsoon rains, salt-laden coastal winds and high UV exposure. Covered parking enhances aircraft longevity and offers greater privacy and security, which should be particularly appealing to the corporate and private jet segments.
According to CIASL MD Santhosh Poovattil, the company aims to complete construction of the hangar within eight months. The company is preparing for a phase two development in the project that he said is valued at ₹150 crore.
During the new facility’s stone-laying ceremony, CIASL Chairman Shri Suhas said the initiative is an essential component of Kerala’s aviation road map. “This hangar is part of our mission to establish a complete aviation ecosystem in Kerala,” he said. “It supports our goal of self-sufficiency in aircraft maintenance, brings foreign exchange earnings and creates high-skilled jobs for the state.”
India’s MRO industry has long struggled with fragmentation, regulatory bottlenecks and aircraft maintenance outsourcing to other countries. Major domestic airlines still send aircraft to international providers for heavy checks and specialized repair work.
With India projected to operate over 2,000 commercial aircraft by 2030, the need for regional MRO support has grown. Kochi’s growing ecosystem, backed by government support and public-private investment, could serve as a replicable model for other Tier 2 cities.
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