India Morning News
Moscow/New Delhi:Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the indigenous manufacture of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) civil commuter aircraft in India.
The MoU was signed by Shri Prabhat Ranjan, Executive Director (Corporate Planning & Marketing), HAL, and Mr Oleg Bogomolov, Deputy Director General, PJSC UAC, in the presence of Dr D K Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL, and Mr Vadim Badekha, Director General, PJSC UAC.
The twin-engine, narrow-body SJ-100, already in service with over 16 commercial operators worldwide with more than 200 units produced, is seen as a game-changer for short-haul regional connectivity under the Centre’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.
Under the pact, HAL will secure rights to manufacture the aircraft for domestic customers, marking the first complete passenger aircraft to be built in India since the AVRO HS-748 programme (1961-1988).
The collaboration is expected to bolster India’s regional aviation ecosystem and support the ‘Make in India’ initiative in civil aerospace.
