Jet Airways plans to receive five 68-seat ATR 72-600 turboprops by March to replace 18 ATR 72-500 currently operated by the Indian airline. “The delivery of the first aircraft will begin this month and will be complete by March,” says a company spokesman. The short-haul aircraft will operate on the airline’s “domestic network” and “provide enhanced connectivity into the Tier II and III cities and towns across India.”

NEW DELHI — India plans to buy 28 Dornier Do228 twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft for its navy and air force from state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). “There is a proposal to procure 14 Dornier aircraft from HAL for the purpose of training pilots of the Indian air force [IAF],” Defense Minister A.K. Antony says. “Additionally, there is also a proposal to procure two more Dornier aircraft, modified to calibrate navigational aids at IAF airfields. Besides, [the] Indian navy has a plan to purchase 12 Dornier aircraft.”

NEW DELHI — India has plans to launch a Geostationary Imaging Satellite (Gisat) for real-time observation over the Indian subcontinent and to shore up surveillance over its sensitive borders, a senior government official says. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is in the process of designing the Gisat, which will be placed in geostationary orbit at 36,000 km (22,369 mi.) altitude, the official tells Aviation Week. He did not specify a time frame for the launch.