'Saras' maiden flight further delayed

By P. Sunderarajan

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 22. The much-awaited maiden test flight of India's first multi-role light transport aircraft, `Saras', is being further delayed.

The delay is attributed to difficulties in procurement of certain critical components on account of the sanctions imposed by the U.S.

The 14-seater aircraft, designed by the CSIR's Bangalore-based National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), was to have taken to the air a couple of years ago but for the sanctions imposed by the U.S. in the wake of the May 1998 Pokharan blasts.

In May this year, at a review meeting chaired by the Union Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, it was indicated that the problems were being sorted out and that the aircraft would be ready for its first test flight positively by October.

But, according to informed sources, the difficulties persist and, consequently, the flight may be delayed by at least a couple of months.

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