International
India aims to make passenger plane
India aims to make passenger plane
AFP/Bangalore
Ratan Tata (right), chairman of the Tata Group, and pilot Mike Wallace sit inside the cockpit before flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft during the Aero India 2011 at the Yelahanka air force station on the outskirts of Bangalore yesterday. The event showcases the latest in the field of military and civil aircraft |
Officials from the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) told reporters the state-owned firm will present a detailed report to the government within three months seeking clearance to manufacture a 90-seater passenger aircraft.
"There is potential for short-distance, low-cost carriers as operators are looking for cost-effective and right-sized aircraft, while passengers want lower air fares,” NAL director A R Upadhaya said.
"The proposed 90-seat civil aircraft can make this happen,” he said at Aero India 2011 in Bangalore, South Asia’s largest air show, where global aviation firms are vying for a slice of India’s burgeoning civil and military market.
The planned aircraft would be ready for commercial operation by 2017 if cleared for production. India has in the past made a 16-seater aeroplane but it was intended for governmental rather than commercial use.
Upadhaya said various international aerospace companies were interested in becoming partners in the Rs50bn ($1bn) project, the first attempt by India to develop a civil aeroplane of that size.
Citing a government assessment, he said India would require about 1,000 aircraft by 2025 in the 90-seater segment.
Europe’s Airbus expects India will need more than 1,000 aircraft over the next 20 years at a cost of $138bn.