Central Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Thursday that talks between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia have progressed on the indigenous manufacturing of 105 turboprop and Sukhoi Superjet aircraft to strengthen the country’s regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme.
The proposed development is aimed at supporting regional air connectivity as several new airports are being prepared across the country and need to be connected through an expanded flight network. The government’s main objective is to begin manufacturing these aircraft in India as soon as possible to strengthen the domestic aviation network.
Under the proposed deals, the aircraft will be provided to Indian operators such as Pinnacle Air and Air Kerala. The development is expected to take India-Russia cooperation in the civil aircraft manufacturing sector beyond their traditional military defence agreements.
Naidu said the two aircraft are well suited to the requirements of India’s regional connectivity, or UDAN, scheme. With several new airports being developed across the country, connecting them remains a key requirement.
The proposed deals include 50 IL-114-300 aircraft for Pinnacle Air, 20 aircraft for Air Kerala and 35 additional aircraft under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Sleek Aviation.
The proposed aircraft manufacturing programme reflects the effort to strengthen regional connectivity while deepening cooperation between India and Russia in the civil aviation sector ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
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