New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Tuesday announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) for the production of the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in Moscow, Russia.

The MoU was signed by Prabhat Ranjan from HAL and Oleg Bogomolov from PJSC-UAC in the presence of D.K. Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, and Vadim Badeka, Director General of PJSC-UAC, the company said in an exchange filing.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft that is already in operation with over 200 aircraft flying with 16 commercial airlines across the world.

“The aircraft is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft. More than 200 aircraft have been produced and are being operated by more than 16 commercial airline operators,” it said in its regulatory filing.

HAL said the collaboration would be a major boost for India’s regional aviation sector.

“SJ-100 will be a game changer for short-haul connectivity under the UDAN scheme in India. Under this arrangement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture the SJ-100,” the company said.

This marks a historic milestone, as it will be the first time a complete passenger aircraft will be manufactured in India.

The last such project was HAL’s production of the AVRO HS748, which began in 1961 and continued until 1988.

According to HAL, India’s aviation sector is expected to need over 200 jets in this category over the next decade to strengthen regional connectivity.

In addition, about 350 more aircraft may be required for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations.

With this partnership, HAL aims to contribute to India’s growing aviation ambitions and support the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative by bringing passenger aircraft manufacturing back to the country after more than three decades.

–IANS

pk