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India’s Homegrown Passenger Plane To Fly Again, First Flight Expected In June
SARAS Transport AC gets ready for take off. (Sh AK Antony/Wikipedia)
The first flight of India’s re-engined and modified passenger jet SARAS is expected to take off this June, Times of India has reported, reviving hopes that India’s three-decade-old plan to build an indigenous passenger jet will finally materialise.
Now, the Bengaluru-based National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) has handed over a reconfigured prototype to IAF’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE). The testing centre has conducted a few low-speed ground runs.
“The engine tests have already begun. The low-speed taxi and high-speed taxi trials are expected to be completed by the end of this month. After that, the ASTE will do the first flight most probably in the first week of June,” Times of India quoted Jitendra J Jadhav, director of National Aerospace Laboratories, as saying.
Meanwhile, the government is also planning to start a separate programme to build a bigger, 50-70 seat commercial aircraft. Feasibility study for the project, which would need a private party to manufacture, has been completed.
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