Global amphibious aircraft manufacturer Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) has entered into a strategic collaboration with India-based Apogee Aerospace to establish amphibious aviation as a critical operational and industrial capability in India.
The partnership is centred on AAI’s Albatross 2.0 platform, the world’s first FAA- or EASA-certified transport category amphibious aircraft above 19 seats. The aircraft is certified to carry up to 28 passengers and is approved for registered passenger transport operations, positioning it for both civil and strategic use cases.
Under the agreement, Apogee Aerospace has been appointed AAI’s exclusive authorised representative for the Indian subcontinent in the restricted category, covering defence and government applications. The collaboration will span maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), training and capability development, simulation, aircraft militarisation, and end-to-end systems integration.
A key element of the partnership includes the establishment of tail-section manufacturing in India, which will integrate Indian industrial capabilities into AAI’s global supply chain and support long-term localisation objectives.
Commenting on the collaboration, AAI executive chairman Khoa Hoang and president and CEO Gopi Reddy said the Albatross 2.0 offers India a fully certified transport-category amphibious aircraft that can immediately address the operational needs of the military, paramilitary forces, government agencies, and strategic civil aviation. They added that partnering with Apogee allows AAI to go beyond aircraft delivery and focus on industrialisation, skills development, and sovereign capability creation.
As part of the agreement, Apogee Aerospace has placed an order for 15 Albatross 2.0 aircraft, representing an estimated programme value of ₹3,500 crore. In addition, Apogee plans to invest up to ₹500 crore to set up manufacturing, MRO facilities, training and simulation infrastructure, and advanced systems integration capabilities in India.
Through this collaboration, AAI and Apogee aim to position India as a global hub for amphibious aircraft manufacturing, sustainment, training, and exports, aligned with the country’s long-term defence preparedness, disaster response needs, and aerospace export ambitions.
Apogee Aerospace, led by MVN Sai, focuses on advanced aviation platforms and lifecycle support for defence, government, and strategic civil applications, while AAI is a globally certified aerospace OEM specialising in modern amphibious aircraft for military and civilian markets worldwide.
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