Feasibility report on transport aircraft by February

Come February, we may be able to get a rough idea of what India’s ambitious regional transport aircraft, or the RTA, might look like at the Aero India 2011.

The feasibility report of the regional transport aircraft (RTA) that India is developing will be ready by April-end this year and would detail the configuration, design, market potential and basic structure of the JV.

Meanwhile, the high-powered committee for the national civil aircraft development is set to hire SBI Capital and IDBI to develop a joint venture business model for the first indigenous regional aircraft.

A R Upadhyay, director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), also said that an expression of interest (EoI) would be floated shortly inviting proposals for becoming principal partner in the proposed public-private joint venture programme. He said here that there was a possibility of more than one partner being part of the programme.

Meanwhile, the high-powered committee is also in talks with four engine manufacturers and their technical teams. While the aircraft is going to be almost wholly indigenous, except for the engine, the committee had spoken to the other RTA majors like the Embraer.

With the infrastructure and technical base set up in the country, thanks to the light combat aircraft (LCA) and the advanced light helicopter (ALH) projects, India has much of technical capability for developing the aircraft. "Wherever we are deficient, we will seek consultancy and advisory help from abroad," Upadhyay said. He also added that it could have military capabilities.

The high-powered committee is looking at a 90-seater now, but a 70-seater is also an option. Further, he said, the market survey for the project had been conducted by RITES and A T Kearney. "The numbers they came up with matched our estimates," said A Upadhyay, chairman, NAL. NAL is developing the general aviation aircraft. The aircraft is expected to be a 70-seater, and not more than a 100-seater, he added.

A report would be submitted to the government by the April-end. Combining the projected military and paramilitary requirements, the total Indian requirement is project.