Public-Private Partnership Eyed for 600-800 km Range Indian Regional Aircraft Development, Aimed at Enhancing Connectivity Under UDAN Scheme

India is taking a significant step towards boosting regional air connectivity with a proposed public-private partnership for the development of an indigenous regional aircraft.

The Ministry of Aviation has held discussions with various Indian airline companies, and there is strong support for a made-in-India aircraft designed for short-haul flights with a range of 600-800 kilometers.

This initiative aligns with the government's broader strategy to expand India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) program.

With no government-owned airline currently operating, private-sector airline companies are playing a crucial role in shaping this initiative. They have expressed a clear preference for an indigenous solution tailored to the specific demands of regional air travel within India.

The Ministry of Aviation has indicated its willingness to support this project through subsidies or incentives to reduce acquisition costs for airlines. This financial backing is considered vital to encourage airlines to choose the domestically produced aircraft over foreign alternatives.

To ensure the aircraft meets the operational needs of the Indian market, airline officials have been actively involved in providing feedback and recommendations to the Ministry.

This includes specifications on passenger capacity, fuel efficiency, maintenance requirements, and adaptability to diverse geographical and climatic conditions across India.

The next phase of the project involves consolidating these recommendations into a comprehensive design brief. This will guide the development team, which may comprise public sector undertakings, private manufacturers, or a consortium.

The government is aiming for a swift initiation of the conceptualization and design phase, followed by prototype development and testing.

This initiative holds immense potential for enhancing regional connectivity within India. A domestically produced regional aircraft could be a game-changer for the UDAN scheme, making air travel more accessible and affordable for a larger segment of the population.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

I really wonder if any airline will risk buying Indian aircraft when there are tried and tested platforms like the ATR series. It requires a huge investment to design, build, test, and certify the platform. Do we have the necessary tech for building commercial aircraft? It's better to have a collaboration with experienced builders, rather than risk passenger lives.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

6-800 KM will be short range. May be have two variants one with 1000 KM and another with much higher range.

 

[Omad Er]

I really wonder if any airline will risk buying Indian aircraft when there are tried and tested platforms like the ATR series. It requires a huge investment to design, build, test, and certify the platform. Do we have the necessary tech for building commercial aircraft? It's better to have a collaboration with experienced builders, rather than risk passenger lives.

You lack confidence. We can make spacecrafts so aircrafts are much easier. Only thing is that we have to start making it

 

[Sandeep]

It’s absolutely essential that we design, develop and manufacture our own 100% indigenous plane that can carry passengers within India. It will cost a lot at first to start up but as more Indian airline companies buy the planes it will become cheaper over time but it will still be much cheaper than buying a foreign plane.

We will also have to subsidise the planes for a while and give some tax breaks to the manufacturing companies so that it can concentrate on growth and building stability.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

You lack confidence. We can make spacecrafts so aircrafts are much easier. Only thing is that we have to start making it

Spacecrafts are much easier than making aeroplanes. That's why we only have handful of companies are making aeroplanes worldwide.

 

[Prateek]

Modify C-295 and mass-produce it, problem solved.