HAL, Russian companies join hands to make SJ-100 aircraft in India

NEW DELHI: India’s public sector aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (part of Rostec State Corporation) have signed a deal for cooperation in the production of Superjet 100 (SJ-100) commercial aircraft in the country.

The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Wings India international aviation exhibition in Hyderabad, Russian agency TASS reported. Under this agreement, HAL will license-produce the twin-engine, narrow-body jets, supporting the “Make in India” initiative, aiming at reducing import dependency for regional connectivity.

HAL CMD DK Sunil told a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday that the company is aiming at starting rolling-out semi knock-down SJ100 aircraft in its existing facilities in the next three years.

“In the next year or so, year and a half, we can get in about 10 aircraft,” Sunil said, adding, “We see a good market of upwards of 200 aircraft for this size of India.” Sunil said the idea is to not wait for the production, but to deploy the aircraft as soon as possible. HAL would like to lease about 10 to 20 which can be bought from Russia directly in flyaway condition.

With typically seats between 87 and 108, SJ100 is an efficient and high-tech commercial aircraft created using the cutting-edge technologies in the field of aerodynamics and aircraft systems that ensure high-level performance. The aircraft is currently operated by nine Russian airlines and by a number of Russian and foreign state operators.

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said the agreement will serve as the basis for further cooperation between the companies. The document specifies that HAL will assist UAC in the certification and validation process for the Superjet-type certificate in India, TASS reported as saying.

HAL will be granted a licence to manufacture and sell SJ-100, including components, parts and spare parts necessary for the aircraft’s maintenance and repair. UAC, in turn, will assist HAL in organising and re-equipping its production facilities for SJ-100 production through consulting, design services, and the involvement of specialists, it said.

“The signing of this agreement marks an important step toward concluding a general agreement, which will outline the roadmap, timeframe, financial indicators, and a detailed breakdown of the respective workloads of the parties,” UAC said.