Airbus gets the nod to Build 40 C295 Transport Aircraft for India

Airbus said it has received the regulatory approval from India’s Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) for its C295 aircraft program.

This is the first time a QMS of a foreign aircraft manufacturer has been approved by DGAQA.  

The certificate of approval was handed over by Director General of DGAQA, Sanjay Chawla to Kajetan von Mentzingen, Head of Quality, Airbus Defence and Space at a ceremony held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022, in Gandhinagar. This is a significant first step of a comprehensive quality assurance roadmap agreed between Airbus and DGAQA for the C295 ‘Make in India’ programme.  

Speaking on the approval, Kajetan von Mentzingen said, “It will be the foundation for successful aircraft manufacturing in India under the policy of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

India had sealed a nearly $2.5 billion (INR 21,000 crore) deal with Airbus to procure 56 C295 aircraft to replace legacy AVRO fleet in September 2021. Under the contractual agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

This certification is part of this program, which involves the full development of a complete industrial ecosystem: from the production of detailed parts to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.