TT Exclusive: Boeing to set up an airplane conversion line for passenger to freighter conversion in Hyderabad

Will be first OEM to take up such a facility Hyderabad has a vibrant aerospace and defence ecosystem

Hyderabad: In a development that will bolster the aerospace and defence ecosystem in Telangana further, American multi-national corporation Boeing will shortly set up an airplane conversion line for passenger to freighter conversion in Hyderabad.

This will be the first such facility being taken up by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Boeing is said to be partnering with GMR Aero Technics to execute the 737 Boeing Converted Freighter here in India. This will also continue to support complex MRO capability in India, sources privy to the development told Telangana Today.

The company will work with GMR to develop the capability including training, know-how transfer over the next 18 months. However, the timing of the first airplane being converted will depend on when Boeing will have a major order from this region from customers like Indigo, SpiceJet, Blue Dart, QuikJet etc, sources disclosed.

The airline major Boeing was impressed with the proactive policies of the Telangana Government in setting up and encouraging the ecosystem conducive for major investments. The stable and progressive leadership by Chief Minsier K Chandrashekhar Rao in the State had a role in convincing Boeing to set up this major plant in Hydreabad, sources explained. Sources however, were unwilling to disclose the investment to be made by Boeing, saying that such details would be made public when announcement about the facility is made this week.

Boeing, through its partners, already has a significant presence in Hyderabad. In February this year, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) shipped the first vertical fin structure for the Boeing 737 aircraft from its facility in Hyderabad. The vertical fin was meant for the Boeing manufacturing facility in Renton, WA, for integration into the final Boeing 737 aircraft.

In 2021, TBAL added a new production line to manufacture complex vertical fin structures for the 737 family of airplanes. The significant milestone created additional employment opportunities
while enabling skill development. “TBAL is an example of Boeing’s commitment towards co-development of integrated systems in aerospace and defence in India for the world”, said Boeing India president Salil Gupte.

Another joint venture of Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited in Hyderabad employs over 900 engineers and technicians and produce aero-structures for AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, secondary structures, and vertical spar boxes for customers worldwide. In January last, the TBAL also delivered the first fuselage for the first of the six Indian Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters on order.

Boeing’s annual sourcing from India stands at $1 billion. Boeing currently employs over 5,000 people in India and an additional 13,000 through its 300 Indian partners. In November 2022, Hyderabad – based Azad Engineering delivered the first consignment of parts built to National Aerospace Standard (NAS) to Boeing. The consignment carried critical and unique aerospace components required for multiple Boeing aircraft.

Hyderabad has been ranked number one in the Aerospace Cities of the Future 2020-21 ranking. Telangana has won the Best State Award in Aviation and Aerospace. Telangana has a distinct advantage as multiple aerospace parks are within/near urban living centres. It also boasts of superior infrastructure at low cost, abundant availability of skilled manpower, an established aerospace and defence supplychain, attractive State Industrial Policy and package of incentives. Aerospace and defence ecosystem in Telangana has witnessed unprecedented growth in the past five years.

Telangana has been able to attract large investments from US OEMs such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Safran, Tata, GE Aviation, Pratt and Whitney, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, UTC Aerospace, Thales, Elbit Systems, Bharat Forge, Rafael, Sikorsky, SAAB, Canfield, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Pilatus, HAL, and others. There are over 1,000 MSME units in precision engineering sector in Telangana.