The first-ever “Made-in-India” commercial flight — a 17-seater Dornier (Do-228) aircraft — started operations on April 12. Under the UDAN scheme, the aircraft will boost air connectivity in the northeastern region by connecting five remote towns of Arunachal Pradesh with Assam’s Dibrugarh.
The first flight took off from Dibrugarh and landed in the Pasighat town of Arunachal Pradesh. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present for Do-228’s first flight.
The Dornier aircraft has been built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-owned aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bengaluru. The aircraft is capable of day and night operations.
