HAL, Russian Firms Partner to Manufacture SJ-100 in India

• HAL and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation will jointly produce the Superjet 100 in India under the “Make in India” programme
• HAL plans to begin rolling out aircraft within three years, with potential demand for over 200 regional jets in India
• The 87–108 seat SJ-100 is a modern regional jet, with HAL licensed to manufacture, sell, and support it in India

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from India and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) which operates as a subsidiary of Rostec State Corporation in Russia, have established a partnership to manufacture Superjet 100 (SJ-100) commercial aircraft in India.

The agreement was signed at the Wings India international aviation exhibition which took place in Hyderabad.

HAL will produce the twin-engine narrow-body SJ-100 aircraft under a licensing agreement which supports the government's Make in India initiative and helps decrease import needs while enhancing regional air travel links.

HAL’s CMD, DK Sunil declared that the company plans to start producing semi knock-down aircraft components at its current facilities within three years.

Sunil announced at a Hyderabad press conference that HAL plans to acquire 10 new aircraft during the upcoming year and a half because the company expects Indian customers to purchase more than 200 aircraft within this category.

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HAL plans to acquire 10 to 20 aircraft through direct leasing from Russia about flyaway aircraft instead of waiting for the production process to start in India.

The SJ-100 regional jet has an operational capacity that ranges from 87 to 108 passengers because it uses advanced aerodynamic features and modern aircraft systems to achieve superior performance. The aircraft operates through nine Russian airlines which also serve multiple state-owned Russian and international operators.

UAC established the agreement as a base for more extensive partnership development. HAL will assist in the Superjet certification process for India while obtaining rights to produce, market, and service the aircraft, and UAC will provide technical advisory services and design assistance to support HAL's factory modernization efforts.

UAC stated, “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”.