1948 made Dakota aircraft to arrive in India soon

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s offer to the Union Government to hand over the 1948 made Douglas DC3 ‘Dakota’ Aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) that will arrive in India shortly, is now getting all the mandatory clearances.

Speaking to IANS, the businessman-turned-lawmaker said the aircraft was currently in London.

“Since it is a long haul flight and has to fly over 11 countries, one has to get sanction from all these countries, for which we have applied for. I expect the aircraft to arrive in the country in the coming months and wish to officially hand it over on Vijay Diwas,” Chandrasekhar said.

Incidentally, he first made this offer to the UPA Government, but failed to get a positive response and it was only last year that a green signal came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

After buying this aircraft from Ireland in 2009, he has now made the aircraft airworthy in London, where it is waiting to begin its flight to India.

- IANS