Boeing 777 Stuck in Nagpur for 6 Years Expected to Take Flight in February

Nagpur: A Boeing 777 aircraft, which had been grounded in Nagpur since February 2020 for mandatory maintenance, is expected to take to the skies in February after a six-year gap. The aircraft, with the call sign VT-ALL, had arrived at Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL)’s Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) depot for routine servicing.

Delay Due to Component Reallocation
The plane was originally expected to undergo maintenance in just over a month. However, the process was delayed when components from VT-ALL were removed and installed in other Boeing 777s that were scheduled to fly earlier. Sequential removal and replacement of components for other aircraft caused VT-ALL to remain grounded for an extended period.

Flight Scheduled for February
After several extensions of the maintenance timeline, AIESL now expects the aircraft to be ready for flight by the first week of February. Some work remains, including recent fuel tank inspections that required clearance from Boeing. The final stages of maintenance on VT-ALL are underway, with completion anticipated in February, although the plane was initially expected to fly in January.

MRO Operations and Air India’s Transition
Recently, a team from Singapore Airlines’ engineering division visited the Nagpur MRO to assess progress on VT-ALL and study future maintenance requirements. Following Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India, the MRO continues to operate under AIESL as a separate entity. Previously, AIESL was a subsidiary of Air India. The MRO is specialized in servicing wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777, and most of its business continues to come from Air India even under Tata’s ownership.