New Delhi: Marking a new beginning in Indian aviation, the first-ever Made-In-India commercial fight took its maiden journey from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.

Alliance Air will operate the first Made in India Dornier 228 passenger aircraft which will be flagged off by Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

The 17-seater commercial flight Dornier aircraft will link 5 remote towns of Arunachal Pradesh to Assam’s Dibrugarh, boosting air connectivity in the North-Eastern region of the country.

Who built the aircraft and who will operate it?

The Dornier-228 flight has been developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and delivered to Alliance Air on April 8. The 17-seater aircraft is equipped with features to carry day & night operations.

Flagged off the Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia today, the indigenously built aircraft will be operated by Alliance Air. The Dornier-228 has many state-of-the-art features which include an AC cabin. Two aircraft have been handed over to Alliance Air.

Alliance Air will take off into the skies of Arunachal Pradesh with its #MadeInIndia fleet – HAL Dornier 228, working towards a mission to connect the North-Eastern Region of India to enhance commerce and economic growth. pic.twitter.com/4IYmNQwr54

— Alliance Air (@allianceair) April 9, 2022

The light transport aircraft will remove the daily travails of people and facilitate better connectivity. Currently, people find it increasingly tough to travel between distant locations in North-East.

Those residing in Arunachal need 1-5 days to reach Dibrugarh airports in Assam. With Dornier-228 planes coming into operation, the situation will change drastically on the ground.

Overjoyed and proud to embark on the 17 seater Made-in-India Dornier 228 aircraft – in its first ever maiden service to Arunachal Pradesh! Jai ho! @KirenRijiju pic.twitter.com/nEuUykrvAC

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) April 12, 2022

What’s special about Made-In-India aircraft

The Dornier 228 is capable of conducting day and night flights.

The flight service will be a boon for people living in remote & far-off locations near the border. In spite of a week’s time, they can reach Dibrugarh airport in just hours. Currently, most of the pan-India flights are connected from Assam’s Dibrugarh airport.

The services will further expand to Tezu, Mechuka, Ziro and Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh with Dibrugarh serving as a major hub.