HAL's First Do-228 Civil Variant To Be Rolled Out By 2017

Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd will be rolling out its first civil variant of Dornier Do-228 utility aircraft by April 2017.

The Do-228-201 upgraded version, a 19-seater commuter aircraft currently being manufactured at Kanpur, is best suited under the RCS. “The Kanpur Division is already accredited with civil certification CAR 21 for manufacture and CAR 145 for Dornier-228 Maintenance Repair & Overhaul of Dornier-228-201 aircraft,” said a company spokesperson said in a statement Sunday.

“There is a demand for at least 200 aircraft and the government would conclude the contract with HAL once the first aircraft is rolled out,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said during inauguration of the aircraft’s new structural assembly at HAL’s Kanpur facility Saturday.

The Board had sanctioned Rs 100 crore (US$14.8 million) for two civil variants though there is no firm order, HAL CMD T S Raju said.

“We see a big business opportunity in this segment for next 10 years. We have already started manufacturing two civil demonstrator aircraft,” Raju said.

HAL-Do-228 is a twin turboprop, high wing aircraft with a retractable tricycle landing gear most suitable for regional connectivity. The maximum seating capacity of aircraft is 19 passengers and two crew members (a pilot and a co-pilot).