The Hindu : National : Israeli firm plans to build passenger aircraft in India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 02, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Israeli firm plans to build passenger aircraft in India

Y. Mallikarjun

HYDERABAD: Tel Aviv-based Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Limited, a leading supplier of defence and aerospace products in the world, is proposing to build a 60-80 seater passenger aircraft and different types of executive jets in India. It is looking for partners to establish joint ventures for both projects.

The 60-80 seater would be a “regional jet” for meeting air travel needs in the country and neighbouring nations. “Most of it will be built here while the designing will be done by IAI. We are talking with an Indian company,” said IAI president and CEO Itzhak Nissan.

He told The Hindu that the company had also firmed up proposals to set up software and aeronautical engineering companies in Bangalore this year for undertaking research and development activities in military and civil aviation sect ors. It is also planning an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility for converting phased-out passenger aircraft into cargo planes which would have a life of 15 years.

Mr. Nissan said the software and engineering companies would be fully owned by IAI and the final plan was awaiting the IAI board’s approval. The companies would involve “heavy investment”, he indicated while declining to give details of the actual funding.

They would require a large number of software and aeronautical engineers.

Describing India as a “big customer” of IAI, he said it was trying to establish joint ventures with both pubic and private sector institutions.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National