KANPUR: India will gift a  Dornier DO-228 aircraft to Seychelles to carry out surveillance and anti-piracy missions.

Defence minister  AK Antony will present Hindustan Aironautics Limited’s Dornier DO-228 aircraft to Seychelles President  James Michel on January 31.

Seychelles and HAL had signed a contract for two aircrafts on February 2012, and promised to deliver by 2014. However, HAL is handing over one of the aircrafts a year in advance.

General manager of HAL, Kanpur  D Balasubramaniyam said at a press conference here on Thursday that HAL has manufactured a total of 117 Dornier DO-228 aircrafts till now, and presented to regional air services, defence forces — Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force.

In 2013-14, HAL is planning to make 30 Dornier DO-228 aircrafts for Air Force, Navy and DRDO, and 10 aircrafts for South Africa, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Philippines, Thailand and Ecuador, he said. India has also presented two Dornier aircrafts to Mauritius.

The GM said since the central government is planning to connect small cities to metros and bigger cities, they have asked HAL to increase manufacturing of Dornier to be used as civil passenger aircrafts.

This highly fuel-efficient and low maintenance aircraft can fly for 5.5 hours upto 2,500 kilometres and needs only 750 meter space for runway.

Dornier 228 aircraft has two Garrett TPE Engines and fuel efficiency of 2,859 ltr with maximum speed at 428 km per hour.

HAL was given the licence by Dornier GmbH of Germany to manufacture Dornier as a light transport aircraft on November 29, 1983.

Two crew members and 15-19 passengers can sit in the aircraft.

The Dornier DO-228 aircraft can be used for air taxi, utility, corporate, aircrew training, apart from maritime surveillance, search & rescue and for observation & communication duties.

HAL will provide diesel auto pilot facility and glass cockpit aircrafts to Indian Air Force and foreign countries.