Defence

Bangalore air show: In brief

Aero Club order

Aero Club of India has ordered 11 Cessna 172 Skyhawks, to be equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics. The Aero Club is a branch of the Indian Department of Civil Aviation and will distribute the Skyhawks to regional member flying clubs.

VIP contest

Bidders competing for an Indian air force contract to supply up to 24 VIP-configured helicopters were due to submit their proposals on 12 February. The AgustaWestland EH101 and Sikorsky S-92 are expected to be in the competition.

RJ70s leased

BAE Systems Regional Aircraft is leasing two Avro RJ70 regional jets to Delhi-based Indian start-up carrier MDLR Airlines. The first aircraft was delivered late last month and the second will follow in late February. MDLR plans to use the aircraft to serve airports in mountainous regions with short runways.

Thales sale

Thales has won a $24 million order from Kingfisher Airlines for three full flight simulators - two for the Airbus A320 and one ATR turboprop.

OSS servicing

AgustaWestland has appointed OSS Air as its Indian service centre for its commercial helicopters. OSS will also handle sales and marketing in India on behalf of Sharp Ocean of Hong Kong, which holds the distribution rights for the country.