Seaplanes ahoy: Amphibian Aerospace Industries getting Albatross 2.0 to India

NEW DELHI: India’s focus on promoting seaplanes for island connectivity is now attracting global biggies of amphibious aircraft to the country. Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI), a FAA-certified aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of amphibious aircraft for military, civilian use worldwide, through its subsidiary has tied up with a Indian company to bring here the Albatross 2.0 — a FAA or EASA certified transport-category amphibious aircraft above 19 seats in the registered passenger transport (RPT) sector. The first demo aircraft is expected in India in six months. AAI plans to set up a final assembly line in India for this aircraft.AAI, a subsidiary of Amphibian Aircraft Holdings (AAH), has entered into a collaboration with Apogee Aerospace Pvt Ltd to establish amphibious aviation as a strategically important capability for India. Under the collaboration, Apogee Aerospace has been designated as AAI’s exclusive authorised representative partner for the Indian subcontinent. The partnership extends across maintenance, repair and overhaul, training and capability development, simulation, end-to-end systems integration for the militarisation of the aircraft, and the establishment of aircraft tail-section manufacturing in India to support the global supply chain.In a joint statement, Khoa Hoang, executive chairman, and Gopi Reddy, president & CEO of Amphibian Aerospace Industries said: “India is uniquely positioned to lead the next chapter of amphibious aviation, and this collaboration is a decisive step in that direction. With Albatross 2.0, we are bringing fully certified transport-category capability that can immediately serve India’s military & paramilitaries, government, and strategic civil aviation needs. Partnering with Apogee Aerospace allows us to go far beyond aircraft delivery, focusing on deep industrialisation, systems integration, skills development, and long-term sovereign capability.”“Through this partnership with Apogee Aerospace, our focus is on deep industrial integration, indigenous capability development, and establishing India as a centre for amphibious aviation operations, sustainment, and future growth,” the added.Wing Commander MVN Sai (retd), CMD of Apogee Aerospace, said: “Albatross… fundamentally redefines the point of launch and recovery of air power. The versatility of the platform enables operations across dimensions and verticals that previously required a combination of platforms to accomplish.”As part of the strategic collaboration, Apogee Aerospace has placed an order for 15 Albatross 2.0 aircraft worth about Rs 3,500 crore. Apogee will also invest up to Rs 500 crore to establish tail-section manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul facilities, training and simulation infrastructure, and advanced systems integration capabilities in India. These system integration facilities will support the development and delivery of indigenised military variants of the Albatross platform for the Indian Armed Forces. In addition, Apogee Aerospace has invested Rs 65 crore into Amphibian Aircraft Holdings, reinforcing long-term strategic alignment and shared execution commitment between the two organisations.