Air Works, an independent maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and diversified aviation services provider, has appointed Haseeb A Drabu as Independent Director on the Board of the company.

Drabu is a noted economist and policy maker. He has been an advisor to several institutions and corporates on issues such as macro and monetary policy, banking and finance operations, fund management, corporate investment, and governance advisory. He has worked as a lawmaker and a policy planner. In his most recent engagement until March 2018, he was Finance Minister of the State of Jammu & Kashmir (now a Union Territory).

Commenting on his appointment, Drabu said, “I see Air Works, as a model enterprise, not only for the Indian aviation ecosystem of which it is a quintessential part, but also for business in general. The company has had a rich legacy, and a richer brand equity, built on performance and values. As such, notwithstanding the ongoing circumstances, it is uniquely positioned to be the key player in making India an MRO hub. I am keen to engage with other members of the Board and the Air Works’ management to help realise their collective vision and ambition.”

D Anand Bhaskar, MD & CEO, Air Works, said, “Drabu’s addition to Air Works’ Board is well-timed. His deep understanding and experience in the areas of policy, planning, banking and economics will have an invaluable bearing on Air Works’ overall business strategy and destiny, in light of the unprecedented fluctuation in the economic scenario and the current state of Indian aviation due to Covid-19. Despite having a resilient DNA, we look forward to leverage his rich experience and further strengthen Air Works, embracing both emerging and best practices in corporate governance in order to reinvent our business in sync with the new, emerging normal.”

Air Works is India’s largest provider of line maintenance services to global airlines and is certified to maintain over 55 types of aircraft, making it also the most diversified MRO in the country with a pan-India network of 27 locations and over 1,300 employees, serving both civil (fixed wing and rotary wing) and military customers including global OEMs, commercial airlines.