Mahindra Aerospace, part of diversified Mahindra group, on Tuesday said India’s aviation regulator approved its new 10-seater aircraft Airvan 10.

The Rolls-Royce M250 powered Airvan 10 last year received approvals from the Australian and U.S. civil aviation authorities.

With India emerging as the third largest aviation market, air passenger traffic growth has been in the range of 18-20% over the past three years.

The approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation paves way for the company to target more routes and expand its local turboprop market at a time when the government is trying to boost air connectivity to smaller towns and hilly terrains at affordable prices.

Under the regional connectivity scheme, the government is offering flights connecting unserved and underserved airports in the country at a subsidised fare of Rs 2,500 per hour of flight.

The Aviation Ministry is targeting a five-fold increase in passenger trips to one billion per annum in 15-20 years.

Mahindra's Airvan 10 follows in the footsteps of the piston engine 8-seat Airvan 8, and the turbocharged version of the same aircraft, which now operates in 29 countries, according to a company statement.

Australia-based GippsAero, a unit of Mahindra Aerospace, makes the Airvan 10 aircraft.

Mahindra Aerospace is a newcomer on the local aerospace scene and its Airvan aircraft are targeted at niche markets where there are few direct competitors.

In 2015, the group clinched a multi-million dollar aerospace contract with European consortium Airbus at the Paris Air Show, marking a major milestone in the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

First Published:May 29, 2018 10:23 AM IST