NEW DELHI — India is likely to buy an additional 42 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft and 71 medium-lift helicopters from Russia. The Su-30 MKI order will be in addition to the 230 aircraft of the type already contracted for, as the Indian air force (IAF) plans to raise 13 to 14 squadrons in the near future, according to a defense ministry official. The Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, is jointly developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for the IAF.

Indian operator Kingfisher Airlines has resumed the sale of tickets for flights from Oct. 12 despite orders from the country’s aviation regulator to suspend all reservations until the grounded carrier has complied with safety inspections.

NEW DELHI — The Indian air force (IAF) soon will have determined the winner of its heavy-lift helicopter competition, based on lifecycle costs, and the winner should be decided within a few months, according to a senior defense ministry official. The contenders are Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook and Russia’s Mi-26. The IAF already operates four Mi-26s Meanwhile, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne on Oct. 5 said 75% of the IAF’s modernization program will be complete by 2022.