This article summarizes reporting by The Times of India.

Adani and Embraer Reportedly Partner to Establish India’s First Commercial Aircraft Assembly Line

In a landmark development for Indian aviation, the Adani Group has reportedly entered into a strategic partnership with Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer to set up a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for commercial aircraft in India. According to reporting by The Times of India, this collaboration marks the country’s first foray into manufacturing commercial fixed-wing passenger planes, a significant leap from its existing capabilities in component fabrication and military transport assembly.

The deal, which involves Adani Defence & Aerospace, is expected to focus on Embraer’s E-Jets family, a line of regional aircraft designed to seat between 70 and 146 passengers. Industry sources indicate that a formal announcement regarding the partnership and investment details is anticipated later this month at the Wings India 2026 air show in Hyderabad.

Breaking the Manufacturing Barrier

While India has seen recent success in military aerospace manufacturing, most notably the Tata-Airbus consortium for C295 transport aircraft, the commercial sector has remained elusive until now. The Times of India reports that this new facility will be the first of its kind dedicated to civil aviation. The project aims to manufacture complete aircraft rather than just aerostructures, signaling a maturation of the “Make in India” initiative in the high-tech aerospace sector.

The partnership aligns with Adani’s broader strategy to expand its footprint in the aviation ecosystem. The group already manages seven major airports across India and operates the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad. While the specific location of the new FAL has not been officially confirmed, reports suggest Hyderabad is the frontrunner due to its established aerospace ecosystem and Adani’s existing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturing complex in the city.

Strategic Focus on Regional Connectivity

The choice of Embraer as a partner highlights a specific strategic focus on regional connectivity. Unlike the larger narrow-body jets produced by Airbus and Boeing, Embraer’s E-Jets are optimized for shorter routes and thinner markets. This aligns with the Indian government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, which seeks to operationalize underserved airports and connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to major metros.

According to market data, Embraer forecasts a demand for approximately 500 regional jets in India over the next two decades. With major manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing facing significant delivery backlogs extending into the mid-2030s, the Adani-Embraer partnership could offer Indian carriers a faster alternative for fleet expansion.

“This historic deal marks India’s entry into the elite club of nations capable of assembling commercial passenger jets.”

, Industry Research Report (Jan 2026)

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AirPro News Analysis

We view this development as a critical pivot point for the Indian aerospace supply chain. Historically, Indian manufacturers have been relegated to Tier-1 or Tier-2 supplier roles, providing doors, flaps, or fuselage sections to global OEMs. Establishing a Final Assembly Line requires a higher level of system integration capability, which will likely spur the growth of a localized vendor ecosystem involving MSMEs.

Furthermore, this move places pressure on the global duopoly of Airbus and Boeing. While those giants dominate the 180+ seat market, their inability to deliver aircraft quickly due to supply chain constraints has created an opening. By localizing production, Embraer and Adani are not just targeting the Indian market but potentially positioning India as an export hub for the Global South, leveraging lower production costs and a skilled workforce.

Potential Government Incentives

The viability of such a capital-intensive project often hinges on government support. Reports indicate that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is considering fiscal incentives to support the project. These could include benefits for airlines that place orders with the local FAL, potentially structured on a reducing basis to encourage early adoption.

Currently, Embraer has a modest footprint in India, with approximately 50 aircraft in operation, including those used by Star Air and the Indian Air Force’s Netra AEW&C jets. A local assembly line would likely serve as a catalyst to significantly increase this market share.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aircraft will be built at the new facility?
The facility is expected to produce Embraer’s E-Jets family, likely including the E195-E2, which are regional jets capable of carrying 70 to 146 passengers.

Where will the factory be located?
While not officially confirmed, Hyderabad is considered the most likely location due to Adani’s existing aerospace park and the city’s status as an aviation hub.

When will the deal be officially announced?
A formal announcement is expected at the Wings India 2026 air show in Hyderabad in late January 2026.

Sources

• The Times of India

This article is based on an official press release from Daher.

Daher Reports 76 Aircraft Deliveries in 2025, Highlights Special Mission Growth

Daher delivered a total of 76 single-engine turboprop Commercial-Aircraft in 2025, marking a slight decrease in volume compared to the previous year while expanding its operational footprint in special mission sectors. According to the company’s official announcement, the 2025 figures reflect a resilient industrial performance amidst a challenging global Supply-Chain environment.

The French Manufacturers reported that while raw Deliveries numbers dipped by approximately 7.3% from the 82 units delivered in 2024, the year was characterized by significant milestones, including the delivery of the 600th TBM 900-series aircraft. The company emphasized that its “market expansion” strategy is currently driven by a broader customer base in government and utility sectors rather than immediate unit volume growth.

2025 Delivery Breakdown

Data released by Daher indicates that the TBM family continues to lead the company’s output, though both product lines saw minor contractions compared to 2024 figures. The delivery mix for 2025 included:

• TBM Series: 51 aircraft delivered (primarily the TBM 960), down from 56 in 2024.
• Kodiak Series: 25 aircraft delivered (a mix of Kodiak 100 and Kodiak 900), down from 26 in 2024.

Despite the reduction in total units, Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher’s Aircraft Division, praised the industrial teams for maintaining delivery flows. In a statement regarding the year-end performance, Chabbert noted the company’s focus on fulfilling customer commitments.

“Our teams remained fully mobilized through the final days of 2025 with one clear priority: delivering for our customers. Their efforts underscored Daher Aircraft’s capacity to stay focused on execution and customer commitments, especially as conditions evolved during the year.”

— Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher’s Aircraft Division

Strategic Expansion into Special Missions

A key element of Daher’s 2025 narrative is the diversification of its fleet usage. The manufacturer highlighted the delivery of additional TBM 960 aircraft to the Conair Group in Canada. These aircraft are configured as “birddogs”, lead planes used to guide air tankers during aerial firefighting operations. This deployment signals a shift for the TBM program, validating the high-speed turboprop’s utility in government and special mission roles beyond its traditional owner-pilot market.

Furthermore, Daher solidified its geographic presence in South America by establishing a permanent corporate footprint in Brazil late in the year. This move aims to support the region’s growing fleet, particularly in agricultural and remote transport sectors where turboprops are essential.

AirPro News Analysis: Contextualizing the Dip

While Daher’s press release focuses on operational expansion, the delivery figures offer a window into the broader state of the general aviation market in 2025. The dip of six units year-over-year suggests that supply chain frictions, referenced by Chabbert as “evolving conditions”, remain a constraint for manufacturers.

When viewed alongside competitor performance, Daher’s stability appears robust. Industry data indicates that while Piper Aircraft saw growth in early 2025 driven by the M700 Fury, other competitors faced steeper hurdles. For instance, Swiss manufacturer Pilatus grappled with significant import tariff challenges in the U.S. market late in the year, which disrupted their delivery cadence. By comparison, Daher’s ability to deliver 76 units suggests a stabilized production line that, while slightly contracted, avoided the volatility seen elsewhere in the segment.

The strategic pivot toward “special missions” also provides a buffer against fluctuations in the private luxury market. By securing fleet Contracts for firefighting and utility roles, Daher is effectively insulating its order book against potential softening in consumer demand.

Sources

Daher Official Press Release, GAMA Industry Reports

This article is based on an official product announcement and release notes from LevelUp / Orbx.

LevelUp 737NG Series V2 Released for X-Plane 12: A New Standard in Freeware

The flight simulation community has received a significant late-year gift with the release of the LevelUp 737NG Series V2. Launched officially on December 30, 2024, this comprehensive freeware package for X-Plane 12 (and X-Plane 11) delivers a complete overhaul of the Boeing 737 Next Generation family. Developed by the LevelUp team, successors to the “737 Ultimate” project, the release combines the industry-standard systems of the Zibo Mod with entirely new high-fidelity visuals and audio.

According to the product page on OrbxDirect, the V2 update is designed to modernize the aircraft’s aesthetics to match the native capabilities of X-Plane 12. The package includes all five primary variants of the 737NG series: the -600, -700, -800, -900, and -900ER. By offering these variants in a single, modular installation, LevelUp aims to provide a unified experience for virtual pilots seeking to simulate short-haul and medium-haul operations across the entire fleet.

This release marks “Stage 1” of the developer’s roadmap, focusing primarily on the exterior model, cabin redesign, and sound environment, while retaining a hybrid cockpit setup pending future updates.

Visual and Audio Modernization

The core of the V2 update lies in its visual and auditory enhancements. LevelUp has rebuilt the 3D model, doubling the polygonal resolution to ensure smoother fuselage curves, engine cowlings, and landing gear components. The developers state that this new architecture allows for 8K high-definition texturing across both the exterior and the cabin, significantly increasing the visual fidelity compared to previous iterations.

In their release notes, the developers highlighted the efficiency of the new design:

“Modular Architecture: Designed to share assets between variants, significantly reducing the total installation size.”

Complementing the visual upgrades is a new FMOD 2.0 sound set. Produced in partnership with FlyJSim’s Daniela Rodriguez Careri, the audio package features authentic CFM56 engine “buzzsaw” sounds and distinct audio profiles for the interior and exterior environments. This attention to audio immersion addresses a common request from the community for high-quality native sound in freeware aircraft.

Systems Powered by Zibo

While the visuals are new, the systems logic relies on the proven foundation of the Zibo Mod. The LevelUp 737NG Series V2 integrates the Zibo systems directly, ensuring that flight logic, Avionics, and system depth remain at a study-level standard. This integration allows users to transition seamlessly between the standard Zibo 737-800 and the various LevelUp variants without relearning system behaviors.

The package also introduces the “CornUI” tablet, a redesigned Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) based on the Zibo tablet architecture. This interface allows pilots to manage ground services, calculate performance data, and customize aircraft options, such as installing Split Scimitar Winglets, standard blended winglets, or removing winglets entirely.

Development Roadmap and Community Reception

LevelUp has clarified that the current release represents the first phase of a two-part roadmap. Stage 1 delivers the external and cabin overhauls, while Stage 2 is slated to introduce a completely rebuilt cockpit model to replace the current setup. The developers have indicated that Stage 2 will also serve as the technical foundation for a future 737 MAX product line.

Since its release, the add-on has generated substantial discussion within the flight simulation community. Early adopters have praised the inclusion of the rarer -600 and -900 variants, which are often omitted from other payware and freeware packages. However, some users have reported flight model discrepancies, specifically noting that the aircraft can feel “nose heavy” during rotation and landing. In response, the development team quickly deployed a hotfix (version U1.0.1) to address specific flight model behaviors and lighting glitches.

AirPro News analysis

The release of the LevelUp 737NG Series V2 reinforces a unique market dynamic within the X-Plane ecosystem: the dominance of high-quality freeware. In many other simulation platforms, a complete narrow-body fleet with this level of visual fidelity and system depth would command a premium price tag. By leveraging the open-source nature of the Zibo Mod and combining it with professional-grade modeling, LevelUp effectively raises the bar for what users expect from non-paid content.

However, the “Stage 1” designation is critical for users to understand. While the exterior is state-of-the-art, the cockpit remains a work in progress. The reliance on the Zibo backend is a strategic strength, ensuring stability, but the divergence in flight model “feel” reported by early users suggests that tuning the new 3D model’s aerodynamics to match the established systems will be an ongoing process. For virtual Airlines and serious simmers, the availability of the -900ER and -600 variants fills a significant gap, making this arguably the most versatile 737NG package currently available for X-Plane 12.

Sources

• OrbxDirect
• Threshold Forum