Indonesia's GMF AeroAsia to open its first Middle East MRO base in Muscat under a 20-year concession

Garuda Indonesia's maintenance arm is opening its first Middle East base in Muscat: GMF AeroAsia will run aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) at Muscat International Airport under a 20-year concession it signed with Oman's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Monday, according to a press release. The CAA owns the hangar, and GMF will develop and operate it, adding capacity in phases as demand builds. GMF plans to use Muscat to serve airlines across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

The hangar should be open for business within weeks: The facility should start operating “in the coming few weeks,” CAA President Naif al Abri told the Oman Observer. The CAA wants Muscat to handle heavy maintenance and periodic inspections for Omani and foreign airlines. Oman Air will join GMF as a partner at a later stage, al Abri added.