HAL, NAL to thrash out joint development issues of 70-seater regional transport aircraft
22 Sep 2008
Bangalore: Senior functionaries from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), part of a joint delegation, will soon make a presentation to Indian defence minister AK Antony about the joint design and development of an indigenous 70-seater regional transport aircraft (RTA).
The development costs of the RTA are likely to be in the region of Rs4,000 crore. The development cycle is likely to be spread over six to seven years, in which time the aircraft is expected to be made ready for certification.
The aircraft will cater to regional routes and have a range of around 600-800 km.
According to estimates, over the next 20 years there may exist a requirement for around 400 aircraft within the country, from both the civil and military sectors.
Different versions of the aircraft would not only replace the ageing Dornier, Avro and AN-32 fleets of the Indian Armed Forces, but aircraft of this size would also be required for regional services by the the growing domestic aviation sector.
According to reports, both HAL and NAL are yet to settle various aspects of the joint development programme, such as work share, funding or even aircraft configuration.