Nagpur-crafted jet set to be India's first home-made commercial plane
Nagpur: The first-ever commercial aircraft made in India will roll out from Nagpur by the end of 2028. The Falcon 2000 LXS business jet of France's Dassault Aviation will be manufactured at the company's unit in Mihan Special Economic Zone (SEZ) here.
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Dassault Reliance Aviation Limited (DRAL), a joint venture between the French aircraft-maker and Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure, has been operating in the SEZ since 2017. So far, it has been making components of both the Falcon and Rafale. The ultimate plan was to make a full-fledged Falcon 2000 jet in Nagpur, which was delayed for various reasons, including Covid impacting aviation business, said sources.
On Wednesday, Dassault Aviation and Reliance Infrastructure made a formal announcement of their strategic partnership at the Paris Air Show. DRAL will also emerge as the centre of excellence for all Falcon series aircraft, including the Falcon 6X and 8X assembly programmes for Dassault Aviation, said a press release.
Large assembly lines for the Falcon 6X and 8X will be set up here.
This will catapult India into the elite club of countries manufacturing next-generation business aircraft, as Nagpur will find its place on the global aircraft manufacturing map. Other countries that make similar aircraft include the US, France, Canada, and Brazil.
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