In what is a major development for the Indian aviation sector, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has given a thumbs up to HAL-manufactured Dornier 228 aircraft being used for civilian flight, according to a report by Times of India.

The Dornier Do 228 is currently being used by the Indian armed forces and is capable of carrying 19 passengers at a time.

The aircraft can be used for regional flights, especially for shorter distances, and will act as a boost to the government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.

The UDAN scheme is intended to develop regional airports in the country and increase regional connectivity so that every common citizen can fly to his or her destination.

Since the HAL-made Dornier Do 228 is designed for military use, the civilian version of the aircraft will come with a few modifications here and there. However, the body structure is expected to remain the same.

The twin-engine aircraft, which is manufactured at HAL’s Kanpur facility, will become the first made-in-India aircraft in the country to be used for civilian flight.

The Kanpur-based Transport Aircraft Division of HAL is capable of manufacturing, maintaining, modifying and upgrading light transport aircraft and trainer aircraft for both domestic and international markets.

According to the TOI report, HAL may sell the Dornier 228 to neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka, apart from making it for local carriers.

The Dornier Do 228 is likely to be used for connecting regional airports in undeveloped regions across the country that are not covered by the larger aircraft carriers.

The aircraft is powered by a Garrett TPE 331-5-252D engine with a maximum cruise speed of 428 kmph and consumes 213 kg fuel for every hour of flight.

Going by the information on HAL’s website, the aircraft can be used for pollution-preventing activities, maritime surveillance, aerial survey of a region, casualty evacuation from disaster-stuck areas and search and rescue operations.

As of February 2015, HAL had manufactured 125 Dornier Do 228 aircraft, having bought the production licence from Dornier GmbH in 1981.