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.”
Almost three months after India relaxed its foreign investment rules in the aviation sector, international airlines are eying, albeit cautiously, minority stakes in the country's local carriers. Cash-strapped private airlines Jet Airways and SpiceJet are considering selling stakes to foreign companies, says a civil aviation ministry official. While Jet Airways is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways, low-cost local airline SpiceJet is said to be trying to interest Qatar Airways and Malaysia's AirAsia into taking part ownership.
