Paris Air Show - Indian Foot Print

Indian participation at the Paris Air Show 2009 was limited to a few exhibits by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Unfortunately, there were no flight demonstrations by any Indian aircraft at the event—perhaps a fallout of the financial crunch triggered by the global economic recession. Every year since 2003, Indian aircraft have featured in flight demonstrations at the Paris Air Show. This year, however, the indigenously developed advanced light helicopter Dhruv which has been a regular was missing from the scene.

India was represented by Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, who met with the French Defence Minister, Herve Morin, and senior officials of leading international defence companies. FICCI and CII had thinner delegations this time, but did make their presence felt. Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik was a keen visitor to the Indian representations and collaborations at the air show. Representing the civil aviation sector in India, Paramount Airways, one of the country’s leading domestic premium airlines, signed a memorandum of understanding to buy 10 A321 aircraft, with an option for an additional 10. With the new aircraft, Paramount Airways will launch international services from south India. Also present was Samtel, showcasing the flight control unit (FCU), the first product to be developed by the Samtel-Thales Avionics Pvt Ltd joint venture. An FCU displays piloting and navigation aid data as well as system and warning parameters to the aircraft’s captain and first officer. “We are looking at orders in the region of 20,000 FCUs over the next 10 years. It’s a long term project,” an enthusiastic Puneet Kaura, Executive Director of Samtel Display Systems, told SP’s Aviation after the flight control display was unveiled.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. expressed enthusiasm over the agreement inked in Hyderabad with the Tata Group for the manufacture of S-92 helicopter cabins, slated for delivery in late 2010. “India’s aerospace market is poised for significant growth, and we are thrilled to have the opportunities to support that growth and tap into the capabilities of India’s highly skilled aerospace workforce,” said Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino. Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata said the agreement is a first step for India to become “a global hub for aerospace manufacturing”.