Dornier 228 ideal for regional connectivity under UDAN: HAL CMD Madhavan

'Civil Aviation in India has been witnessing high growth with sound projections for the future', said Madhavan

A made-in-India Dornier 228 aircraft, manufactured entirely by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), took off on its first commercial flight in the country on April 12 from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. It was for the first time that a made-in-India aircraft was flying commercial. HAL Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan tells Veenu Sandhu how this small aircraft – two have been leased to Alliance Air – provides an opportunity to improve connectivity to the country’s unserved airports and airstrips, which is also the aim of the government UDAN (acronym for Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik – let the common citizen of the country fly) scheme. Edited excerpts.

Are the two Dornier aircraft leased to Alliance Air entirely India-made as opposed to those manufactured under licence from Swiss aerospace engineering and defence company RUAG wherein HAL built the fuselage, wings and tail unit and the aircraft was assembled in Germany?

Do-228 aircraft, leased to Alliance Air, are made in India from raw material stage with Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India under CAR 21G Production Organisation Approval and CAR 21 J Design Organisation Approval granted to HAL.

How did the decision to press a HAL-made Dornier into commercial services come about? It has already been flying soldiers and the Coast Guard.

Civil Aviation in India has been witnessing high growth with sound projections for the future. Do-228 aircraft, manufactured by HAL, is an ideal platform for regional air connectivity and has been aptly utilised for the same in the past by Vayudoot. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) released the National Civil Aviation Policy in June 2016 with the aim to aggressively promote regional air connectivity. It provided an opportunity to HAL for positioning Do-228 aircraft towards regional applications in the 19-seat aircraft segment by effectively harnessing the advantages of the available production line. It is important to mention that [this] aircraft can be operated from the majority of airstrips in India owing to its short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.

HAL has also been contemplating on contributing its bit in civil aerospace in addition to its military aircraft verticals. Thus, considering the growth potential for deployment of Do-228 aircraft on regional routes, the HAL board approved for manufacturing of two civil Do-228 aircraft through internal funding. These aircraft have been leased to Alliance Air and have been deployed in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

What makes the Dornier – particularly the HAL-manufactured Dornier – unique?

HAL Do-228 is the most prolific and reliable aircraft in its segment. It has the unique advantage of STOL capability, high fuel and payload capacity, low maintenance cost, economical fuel consumption, high cruising speed, which is unmatched by any aircraft in its class. HAL Do-228’s uniqueness emanates from the company’s in-house competence in modification, up-gradation and customisation of the aircraft along with expertise in technical consultancy and support, capability for imparting flight conversion, maintenance training and experience in technical publication and field service.

What modifications had to be made to the Dornier to meet commercial requirements – both technical and in terms of the look and feel of the aircraft?

HAL’s civil Do-228 aircraft has been manufactured with an upgraded TPE 331-10 version of engine. TPE-331-10 engine offers certain advantages over the earlier used TPE-331-5 version engine such as improved hot and high performance, increased life and durability as well as reduction in hourly operating cost.

The aircraft has been installed with new five-bladed composite in place of four-bladed metallic propellers. The advantages of composite propeller over existing metallic propeller are reductions in weight, reduction in external and internal noise level, faster engine start, less lubrication requirement as well as better vibration damping characteristics for almost vibration-free propeller operations.

While the two aircraft leased to Alliance Air have conventional cockpit, the upcoming aircraft have been upgraded with fully digital glass cockpit along with state-of-the-art equipment, which makes the HAL-made aircraft contemporary with other similar platforms available globally. The look and feel have also been made attractive with lightweight and ergonomically designed seats and attractive livery for enhanced passenger comfort and improvement in aesthetics.

 

Would this continue to be a 17- or 19-seater?

The passenger variant of the aircraft is available in two seating layouts: 17-seater variant with toilet and a 19-seater variant without toilet

In addition, the aircraft is also available in multiple configurations such as VIP version, air ambulance version, para troop version, para drop version, etc. The configuration of the aircraft can be converted to serve other roles in a time span of two hours only.

At what height does the Dornier-228 fly and does it require aircraft pressurisation?

HAL Do-228 aircraft is a non-pressurised platform, which optimally flies at an altitude of 10,000-11,000 feet above mean sea level, thereby obviating the requirement of air masks. Other commercial aircraft of similar class (19-seat turboprop) also generally are non-pressurised and fly at similar altitudes.

Have additional safety measures been added to the aircraft?

The platform, as such, is a very safe flying machine with an excellent safety record. The aircraft is integrated with Terrain Awareness Warning system, Gagan compliant GPS, Emergency Locator transmitter, Long range Weather Radar, Traffic and Collision Avoidance System, Glass Cockpit for enhanced situational awareness and reduced flying workload. The high-wing design and robust landing system provide good visibility as well as capability for smooth operations from semi-prepared runways. Twin engines in the aircraft are capable of handling single engine operations as well.

All in all, the platform is a very safe and robust aircraft in its class.

What is HAL’s vision for the future of the Dornier? Will more India-made Dornier aircraft be pressed into commercial service?

HAL is very confident about deployment of this aircraft in large numbers with prospective regional scheduled/non-scheduled operators, state governments as well as government agencies of India and abroad. Considering the suitability of [this] aircraft for regional civil aviation, HAL is manufacturing another batch of six aircraft for deployment.

In order to develop a supporting ecosystem for smooth aircraft acquisition, operation and maintenance, HAL is proactively working towards providing long-term sustainable solutions. HAL signed MoUs with leading MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) entities during the recent Wings India-22 held in Hyderabad for providing MRO support to civil aircraft. HAL has also obtained DGCA approval for a Lower Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) configuration (under 5,700 kg), which will enable airlines to operate aircraft with commercial pilot licence (CPL) pilots, thereby providing flexibility and enhancing economic operations. HAL has DGCA CAR 147 training organisation approval for training of aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) and ground crew.

In order to increase market presence, HAL is in advanced stages of obtaining Type Certification of Hindustan-228, a derivative of Do-228 aircraft. Thereafter, to enhance global market presence, HAL will be undertaking European Union Aviation Safety (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications for creating a market for this aircraft in other countries as well.

Will the Dornier’s entry also signal a boost to the government’s UDAN programme, the goal of which is to make air travel affordable and widespread? Will it help boost regional connectivity and better serve under-serviced airports?

A major fillip to HAL’s plan to field Do-228 for regional connectivity was Government of India’s UDAN programme – the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to connect unserved airports/airstrips all over India, which has more than 150 airports/airstrips suitable for under 20-seat (Do-228 class) aircraft only.  This provides an opportunity for deployment of Do-228 aircraft by airline operators on routes connecting such airports/airstrips.

In the scheme, multiple short-haul routes in the Northeast region have been included.  The Northeast is a potential region in the country to effectively utilize under-20-seat class aircraft due to its difficult hilly terrain and the geographical advantage air travel has over other alternative modes of travel (rail/road). In addition to this, Do-228 aircraft can aptly be deployed to connect various inter- and intra-state locations and reduce travel time significantly. It is the best flying machine to connect Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to the state capital or major cities.

The regional deployment of two civil Do-228 aircraft by Alliance Air in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, will attract other operators to venture in the regional aviation market and open up scope for more Do-228 aircraft to be delivered within a short lead time.

With all these developments in civil aviation, HAL’s efforts toward offering Do-228 with glass cockpit and lower MTOW (maximum takeoff mass), and assurance for lifetime product support are bound to yield good results for growth in regional commuting air traffic and would contribute towards the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliance India) in civil aviation.