AERO INDIA 2021 SNIPPETS

Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya gestures before taking off for a 30-minute sortie in LCA Tejas at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya gestures before taking off for a 30-minute sortie in LCA Tejas at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Visitors throng a pavilion where a range of Suryakiran aerobatic team’s merchandise is up for grabs at the air show venue. 

Tejasvi Surya flies in Tejas

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya flew on the two-seater indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, creating a buzz at the Aero India 2021.

Tejas the aircraft had created a buzz on the first day of the airshow with the formal signing of the Rs 48,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to build 83 jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The sortie lasted 30 minutes, at the end of which he dubbed the aircraft as a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat. “It is a beacon of scientific excellence and capabilities of India. I am extremely delighted today that I got an opportunity to fly in this wonderful fighter jet,” he said on landing. The induction of the aircraft into the IAF, he said, will boost self-reliance and help India become a larger global exporter in defence.

Suryakiran merchandise in demand

The enduring buzz around the Suryakiran aerobatic team and their daily performance at the airshow have helped sales of caps, badges, masks, t-shirts, fridge magnets and other merchandise. Aviation buffs of the nine-aircraft team thronged the exclusive stall at the airshow.

The sales were higher during Aero India 2019, particularly during the last two days when the general public was allowed. However, this time, the crowds were more informed and discrete in their selections.

A HAL employee, Murali M, who picked up a mask with the nine Suryakirans embroidered, said the merchandise would inspire youngsters to pick aviation as a career choice.