New Delhi: In a boost to short haul connectivity, HAL said that the SJ-100, a narrow-body aircraft, would be a ‘game changer’ for short-haul connectivity under the Modi government’s UDAN scheme. UDAN is a scheme aimed at ensuring regional air connectivity in India.
India and Russia have firmed up a joint collaboration to produce a twin-engine narrow-body passenger aircraft for short-haul flights in line with growing strategic ties between the two countries. State-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) reached an agreement with Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) for the production of SJ-100 aircraft.
HAL and Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) Russia signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for production of civil commuter aircraft SJ-100 in Moscow, Russia on October 27. Prabhat Ranjan, HAL and Oleg Bogomolov, PJSC-UAC, Russia, signed the MoU in the presence of HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director, DK Sunil and PJSC-UAC Director General Vadim Badekha.
It will be the first such project to produce a passenger aircraft in India. SJ-100 is a twin-engine. As of date, more than 200 SJ-100 aircraft have been produced and are being operated by more than 16 commercial airline operators. The maiden flight of the aircraft took place in 2008 and has already been inducted in significant numbers.
The manufacturing of SJ-100 aircraft in India will mark the beginning of a “new chapter” in the history of the Indian aviation industry, said HAL. “It’s a step towards fulfilling the dream of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) in the civil aviation sector,” it said.
The HAL said the manufacturing will also strengthen the private sector and create direct and indirect jobs in the aviation industry. “It is estimated that over the next 10 years, the Indian aviation sector will require over 200 jets in this category for regional connectivity and an additional 350 aircraft for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations,” it said.
“This collaboration between HAL and UAC is the result of mutual trust between the organisations. This will also be the first instance wherein a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India,” the HAL said.
“The last such project was HAL’s production of AVRO HS-748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988,” it added. The AVRO HS-748 was used by the Indian Air Force.
