After a 2-year wait, the state govt will soon get an upgrade when it comes to flying its CM & other dignitaries. The Bombardier-made Challenger 650 aircraft worth Rs 200 crore, with longer range & superior comfort, will be delivered in 2-week's time.
At present, the state uses Beechcraft Super King 200 turboprop aircraft that has been in service for 20 years. The delivery of the aircraft will be taken by GUJSAIL, the aviation department of the Gujarat govt.
Longer range, greater comfort
Challenger 650 jet has a range of 7000 km that is 5 times the 1,400-km range of 890 turboprop aircraft in service. Also, the former has seating capacity of 12 with speed of 890 km per hour, compared to capacity of 8 & speed of 580 km per hour of the latter.
The new aircraft will enable Chief Minister & other dignitaries to directly fly to countries like China, Middle Eastern countries, Japan, Singapore & parts of Russia besides taking long-range flights within India in lesser time.
At present, for long-distance journeys, the Gujarat govt hires private jets that cost as high as Rs 1 lakh per hour.
Sources said the pilots will undergo extensive training to fly the new aircraft. "Once we take the delivery of aircraft, team of Bombardier pilots will come here for few weeks to train our pilots & ground staff about the new technology. Once our pilots are trained, they will be able to fly the heads of state. We will also have to take clearance from the central aviation authorities before deploying the aircraft for use," sources added.
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