Airbus Defence and Space has received approval from the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) for its Quality Management System (QMS) for the C295 aircraft programme for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The DGAQA is the Indian regulatory authority for aeronautical quality assurance, and this is the first time it has approved the QMS of a foreign aircraft manufacturer.
Director General of DGAQA, Sanjay Chawla, handed over the certificate of approval to Kajetan von Mentzingen, Head of Quality, Airbus Defence and Space at a ceremony on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar.
The DGAQA approval for the QMS is a major milestone of a comprehensive quality assurance roadmap agreed upon between Airbus and DGAQA for the C295 ‘Make in India’ programme, which involves the full development of a complete industrial ecosystem: from the production of detailed parts to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.
Kajetan von Mentzingen said, “We have crossed a milestone for the C295 ‘Make in India’ programme. This certification demonstrates the trust and confidence that DGAQA places in Airbus quality standards. It marks the beginning of a robust and comprehensive roadmap that Airbus has put in place for the C295 ‘Make in India’ programme. It will be the foundation for successful aircraft manufacturing in India under the policy of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the purchase of 56 Airbus C295 transport aircraft in September 2021. The aircraft will replace the IAF’s legacy AVRO HS-748 fleet.
Airbus is to deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, while Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will assemble the remaining 40 aircraft under license in India.