Bengaluru, Sep 26 (Agency) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Sunday signed a lease agreement with Alliance Air Aviation Limited, the regional arm of Air India, for the supply of two made-in-India civil Dornier-228 aircraft for regional operations in Arunachal Pradesh. The HAL said Do- 228 is a versatile aircraft, well-suited for operations in the North East and has the capabilities of short take-off and landing. It can also land and take-off from semi-prepared runways. A statement from the HAL said it will boost India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme. HAL also said that the company is keen on expanding its footprints in the regional civil aviation by “engaging more numbers of HAL Do-228 by Air Operators of the country”.
The statement quoted Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and said he called it a big day for the state given the geographical challenges in the vast state. “The connectivity will now be easier,” he said. The civilian version of Dornier-228, also called Hindustan-228, is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built on the existing frame of the military plane Dornier 228. HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers. The Division has ventured into the manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft.
The civilian version of this aircraft can be used for various applications like VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications. The aircraft is aimed at supporting the regional connectivity scheme of the Union Government named UDAN.