Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has handed over the first ship-set of the Dornier to RUAG, Germany, as part of export orders for structural assemblies of the Dornier, ahead of schedule.

“We have manufactured and supplied the ship-set in a record time,” noted T Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL. The handing over ceremony was conducted at a function held at HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) at Kanpur.

This is the first of the four ship-sets for which HAL had received the export order four months ago.

RUAG is a Swiss technology company with its headquarters in Bern and it is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Dornier-228-NG aircraft.

Mid-year, the company is set to begin production of its modernised NG version of the Dornier 228 twin turboprop.

RUAG is looking at producing four Dornier-228 aircraft a year at its assembly line in southern Germany. In 2014, the company had teamed up with Tata Advanced Systems as a key supplier for the programme. The fuselage, wings and tail unit are manufactured by HAL in Kanpur.

Exploring cost cut HAL is also exploring cost reduction to make the aircraft viable for more export opportunities and internal civil operations.

HAL’s Kanpur division has produced more than 120 aircraft for the IAF, Navy, Coast Guard and to other export customers in Mauritius and Seychelles.

The company has plans to upgrade these aircraft.

The HAL board has sanctioned the manufacture of two civil Dornier aircraft, and the company intends to operate them from its own airport at Nasik.

A statement from the company noted that HAL Kanpur has received the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation’s approval for the manufacture of Dornier (Do-228) aircraft in civil role.

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