India is developing a transporter to serve the regional aviation market and is currently conducting a feasibility study for a 70-90-seat civil transport plane.

National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) adviser and chief scientist MR Nayak said that the company is looking at creating a regional transport aircraft (RTA) which would be 70 or a 90-seater aircraft.

NAL is looking at the RTA to have a range of 800km that would be suited to India as the tier-I and tier-II cities are in close proximity to each other.

The aircraft is expected to be developed through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

NAL will be the nodal agency for the project, while other public sector firms such as HAL, DRDO, ISRP, BEL and ADA would also take part in the project.