Aircraft
Denel Launches Regional Airliner Project
New airplane would reach the market by 2020 or 2021
Ismail Dockrat (right), CEO of Denel Aerostructures, and other company officials look on at the unveiling of the Sara project. (Photo: David Donald)
Ismail Dockrat (right), CEO of Denel Aerostructures, and other company officials look on at the unveiling of the Sara project. (Photo: David Donald)

South Africa’s Denel has unveiled plans to design and build a new 15- to 24-seat commercial turboprop aircraft called the Sara. Unveiled at September’s African Aerospace and Defense show, held at Waterkloof AFB near Pretoria, the project traces its roots to studies conducted around two years ago, after the major defense contractor and MRO organization identified a need to increase investment in high-technology programs to develop a new generation of aerospace engineers and capabilities.

To that end the Sara conforms to South Africa’s National Development Plan, and Denel already works with a range of government agencies and academic institutions. The company stresses that it is a collaborative Denel-led project, rather than purely a company venture.

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