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 –