State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has achieved a major milestone with the successful completion of ground run and Low Speed Taxi Trials (LSTT) of the Hindustan-228 (VT-KNR) aircraft for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) 'Type Certification'.

The milestone was achieved at an Independence Day celebrations event at HAL's Kanpur facility on Sunday (15 August).

"This is a major milestone for the first fixed wing Made-in-India civil aircraft in India. It is a step forward towards strengthening regional air connectivity," said Sajal Prakash, CEO of HAL's Accessories Complex.

DGCA Director Indranil Chakraborty said the type certification will also enable HAL to get the international certification for the aircraft. The aircraft complies with the latest FAR 23 certification requirements.

HAL's Transport Aircraft Division in Kanpur has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers. The division has ventured into the manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft to support the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) of the government, the Bengaluru-headquartered defence PSU said in a statement on Monday (16 August).

"This aircraft could be utilised successfully by civil operators and state governments for their intra and inter-state connectivity with seamless support towards training, maintenance and logistics," the HAL said in the statement.

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, the Defence PSU said.