Indian operator Pawan Hans Helicopters plans to order five 19-20 seat turboprop aircraft to serve routes in India’s far Northeast.
The acquisition would mark the government-owned firm’s entrance into the fixed-wing arena, and would be made under the auspices of the government’s push for increased regional connectivity, says a source familiar with the requirement.
Types that could fill the requirement include the Dornier Do 228, which is produced locally by Hindustan Aeronautics, and the Sikorsky M28, produce by the helicopter firm’s Polish unit, PZL Mielec, and the Beechcraft King Air.
If the fixed wing acqusition goes through, the aircraft will likely serve remote air strips in the country’s northeast provinces such as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Pawan Hans operates 46 helicopters, of which 35 are Airbus Helicopters Dauphins.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
