New Delhi: The National Aviation Corporation India Limited (NACIL), the merged entity representing State-owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, has installed an aircraft computer testing facility here, which will aid operations by saving time and foreign exchange.

"The installation of the testing facility, ATEC Series 6, at NACIL (I) is not only a matter of pride for the company but also a statement in the aviation market that it will continue to be at the forefront in maintaining the highest standards in aircraft maintenance," director (engineering) and head, strategic business unit, Vipin Sharma said while inaugurating the facility here.

Indian Airlines has placed an order for 43 new-generation Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft, which are fitted with the latest technology and computer systems necessary for operations.

These sophisticated computers require equally advanced facilities for testing and repair and ATEC or Automatic Testing Equipment Computer, can be termed as Universal Test Equipment for aircraft computers, Sharma said.

During the process of aircraft snag rectification, computers are removed from the aircraft, which are then sent to the vendors abroad for servicing. The whole process after removal of component from the aircraft till its receipt back from vendor after repair takes between 40 and 60 days.

"This new in-house facility will reduce the turnaround of expensive computers to 5-6 days and in turn lower inventory levels saving millions in foreign exchange," Sharma said.

"The NACIL is planning to extend its services private airlines operators. The opportunities in the field of Component MRO will also be harnessed through third party work," Sharma said. Civil aviation in India is witnessing exponential growth and we are preparing to harness the opportunities by leveraging the competencies and taking initiatives to strengthen the complete value chain of airline business, he added.

ATEC SERIES 6 is the most advanced Aviation Automatic Testing Equipment in the world, which can test most electronic equipments of Airbus and Boeing Aircraft with perfect function and simple maintenance. It is the worlds leading automatic tester for commercial Avionics maintenance.

Erstwhile Indian Airlines [now NACIL (I)] was one of the first operators of ATEC and has been using its earlier versions for more than two-and-half decades.

NACIL (I) presently has ATEC 4000 in Mumbai for testing computers of A300 aircraft and ATEC 5000 in Delhi for testing computers of A320 aircraft.

The new A320 family aircraft that are being inducted in the fleet are fitted with new generation computers, which are different from existing ones and cannot be tested either on ATEC 4000 or on ATEC 5000.