Alliance Air Aviation Limited has leased two Dornier Do-228 aircraft from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to boost the airline connectivity to Arunanchal Pradesh under India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
“The HAL Do- 228 is a versatile aircraft well-suited for operations in the North East and has the capabilities of short take-off and landing and the ability to land and take-off from semi-prepared runways. This development opens a new vista in civil aviation for HAL. The Company is keen to increase its footprint in regional civil aviation by engaging more HAL Do-228 by Air Operators of the country,” said the HAL release.
The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, said that “it was a big day for the state given the geographical challenges in the vast state, the connectivity will now be easier.”
HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, has been building transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers. Recently the Division modified the DO-228 and created the Hindustan-228 plane. “The Hindustan-228 is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications,” said the HAL release.