Sanjay Chawla, director general, DGAQA (centre), along with Kajetan von Mentzingen, head of quality, Airbus Defence and Space (with the certificate), and officials from DGAQA and Airbus, at DefExpo 2022 venue at Gandhinagar, on October 20, 2022. (Photo: Airbus)
Gandhinagar: The Airbus Defence and Space Quality Management System for the C295 aircraft has received approval from the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance, India’s regulatory authority for aeronautical quality assurance. This is the first time a QMS of a foreign aircraft manufacturer has been approved by DGAQA.
The certificate of approval was handed over by Sanjay Chawla, director general of DGAQA, to Kajetan von Mentzingen, head of quality of Airbus Defence and Space, at a ceremony held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022, in Gandhinagar. This is a significant first step of a comprehensive quality assurance roadmap agreed between Airbus and DGAQA for the C295 “Make in India” programme.
Speaking on the approval, 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’ (self-reliant India).”
India formalized the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force legacy Avro fleet, in September 2021. Under the contractual agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in “fly-away” condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
This certification is part of this 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.
