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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-owned defence major, along with National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is set to take a key step to develop a suitable engine for India’s ambitious programme to build a civilian aircraft.
According to HAL Chairman R K Tyagi, the company will shortly be issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to develop the engine for the regional transport aircraft (RTA) after 11 bidders responded to the earlier request for interest (RFI) process initiated during end of 2013.
The project, which has been in the works for close to a decade, has been picking up pace over the past five-six years and which has attracted interest from various global players, including from the United States and United Kingdom. The HAL and NAL have taken the lead to build this 70-90 seater aircraft on a public private partnership (PPP) model with a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to steer this project.
According to RFI documents reviewed by Business Standard, the twin-engine aircraft will be configured around a proven high technology propulsion system and HAL estimates that such an engine will be required around 2017 time-frame. “Based on the selection and availability of the engine at that time, a suitable aircraft configuration will be tailored,” HAL had told the bidders during the RFI process.
HAL and NAL had further indicated to the bidders that they would require the prototypes during 2017 and planned production during 2019. HAL, in a statement on Tuesday, said this aircraft, which will have a 70-90-seat capacity, is expected to roll out by 2022.
The initial cost of the project was estimated to be over Rs 5,000 crore.
However, industry analysts are pretty much sceptical of plans by HAL and NAL to take this project to commercial end as it involves high-risk and extreme competition in the global marketplace. China too has been planning to manufacture its own civilian aircraft for quite some time and it might still take more time to take that project to fruition.
According to various global reports, the plans for such an aircraft from China might take some concrete shape within this decade.
Former Chairman of HAL C G K Nair said, it was a doable project, but he believed it had to be time-bound. “The project is important. But, it has to be done in a time-bound manner. It should take to the skies in five years if we get the right engine in time,” he told Business Standard.
During his chairmanship of HAL, a larger 100-seater multi-role transport aircraft was proposed, which was to serve the purpose of civilian use as well as transport and defence. It’s been 14 years since that proposal was made and the project is progressing pretty slowly, he said.
“We must use the private sector and the large infrastructure of SMEs in the country to develop the aircraft at a much faster pace,” he added.
FRESH PLANS
- The project, which has been in the works for close to a decade, has been picking up pace over the past five-six years and which has attracted interest from various global players, including from the United States and the United Kingdom
- HAL and NAL have taken the lead to build this 70-90 seater aircraft on a public private partnership (PPP) model with a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to steer this project
