N-250 plane flies in Hanoi

N-250 plane flies in Hanoi

HANOI (AFP): An Indonesian-designed commuter aircraft flew a demonstration flight for Vietnamese aviation officials in Hanoi on Wednesday, an embassy official said.

The N-250 turboprop aircraft took to the skies at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport before a crowd of officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, she said.

The N-250 is a home grown product designed by the Indonesian state-owned PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara.

The new aircraft is capable of carrying 68 passengers and is designed specifically for short haul commuter routes of up to 800 nautical miles (1,480 kilometers).

Certification by aviation officials of the prototype aircraft is scheduled for 1999.