India has approached Russia about setting up a joint production programme for the Sukhoi Su-80 twin-boom turboprop with a final assembly line in India.
Production of the 30-seat, General Electric CT7-9B-powered Su-80 is allocated to the KnAAPO plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Eastern Siberia. The Su-80 development prototype has so far made just 39 flights, with certification having been repeatedly postponed due to the lack of customers. Sukhoi says the Indian interest has prompted it to "speed up the flight test programme".
The project received a blow earlier this year when the Russian air force selected the competing Ilyushin Il-112V as its future lightweight tactical transport.
Source: Flight International