Amphibious Aircraft Revival Sees $420 Million Investment

Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) of Brisbane, Australia, and India’s Apogee Aerospace have announced a deal for 15 ‘Albatross 2.0’ amphibious aircraft worth about $420 million. The modernized version of the Grumman HU-16 will operate in various roles, including maritime patrol, paramilitary, search-and-rescue, and commercial transport. AAI acquired the type certificate for the Albatross and plans to revive the aircraft as a certified transport-category amphibian. Apogee will establish manufacturing, maintenance, and systems integration capability in India, while also investing in support infrastructure.