BENGALURU : HAL on Sunday signed a lease agreement with Alliance Air Aviation Ltd for the supply of two Civil Dornier-228 aircraft for regional operations in Arunachal Pradesh, which is seen as a major boost to India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
Apurba Roy, General Manager, Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, HAL, and Arun Kumar Bansal, Head of Engineering, Alliance Air, signed the agreement in Bengaluru. The HAL Do-228 is a versatile aircraft suited for operations in the North-East and has the capabilities of short takeoff and landing, and the ability to land and take off from semi-prepared runways. This opens new vistas in civil aviation for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
HAL said it is keen on increasing its footprint in regional civil aviation by tying up with air operators and engaging more HAL Do-228s. Attending the event virtually, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said it is a big day for the state, given the geographical challenges in the vast state. The connectivity will now be easier, he added. HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers.
Plane with a range of capabilities
It has ventured into manufacturing Hindustan-228 aircraft. This is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications.
Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister of Chowna Mein, Home Minister Bamang Felix, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and Secretary (Civil Aviation) Swapnil Nayak attended the event virtually. Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, R Madhavan, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, and senior officials from HAL, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India were also present.