Mahindras take to skies with 5-seater aircraft --Sep 14, 2011,

JAISWAL

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
1,527
Likes
1,027
MUMBAI: In what is being described as a
milestone for both the country's indigenous civil
aviation and the public-private partnership
programmes, the software-to-transportation
Mahindra group in collaboration with CSIR
National Aerospace Laboratories has successfully
test-flown a five-seater aircraft. The project,
which took three years to move from the
drawing board to the skies, is billed to
revolutionize Indian transportation over the next
decade.
The aircraft has completed five tests in the last ten
days and it could take six months or more before
it gets the FAR 23 certification, which guarantees
the highest standards of safety. It could then go
for commercial development. Once ready, each
aircraft is expected to cost around $400,000
(about Rs 2 crore) and would also be the first
such commercial aircraft in the world which
offers a five seat configuration.
For the Mahindra group, it is the second leap into
aviation after it acquired the Australia-based
aircraft maker Gippsland Aviation about two
years ago. For the $12.5-billion Mahindra group,
it's like reliving its own heritage and marks the
third major intervention for the group in
transportation after the introduction of Jeep in the
mid-40s and Scorpio in 2002-both of which left
an indelible mark on the country's transportation
roadmap. "It may not have the sex appeal of jets
but it would open up areas which were virtually
not accessible earlier and aviation would become
an alternate mode of transport to connect such
remote locations," a visibly excited Anand
Mahindra told TOI describing the reach and
potential of the initiative. Top group officials
compared the potential of the programme to the
Scorpio, the group's SUV, which helped
increased the M&M market cap around 50 times,
seen to have been the game changer for the
group. It also brings Anand Mahindra, one small
step closer to his cherished dream of being the
Embraer (a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer) of
India. "It has the potential of democratizing
aviation," he added.


.
.
.
The Times of India on Mobile
.
.
..,....................For full article please visit above link
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top