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SpiceJet, a new subsidiary of Natilus, has ordered 100 jets from the company.

Natilus, an aviation startup in the United States, announced on Wednesday that India's SpiceJet had ordered 100 of their blended-wing-body aircraft. The company is marking its entry into India's fast-growing market with the launch of a new local subsidiary.

According to the industry group IATA the Indian aviation market is the fifth largest in the world. It is a lucrative spot for global airlines and planemakers, driven by a stronger demand for travel into and out of the country following the pandemic.

Natilus also considers India as a possible location for a manufacturing plant, and plans to build approximately 300 HORIZON Jets at the site when it is completed.

Aleksey Mathyushev, CEO of Natilus, said: "I believe there is a great opportunity for us to expand into what could actually be a second manufacturing plant over there."

Natilus announced earlier this year that it was in the process of selecting the location of its first U.S. Manufacturing Facility.

SpiceJet, a low-cost airline in India, said that it would partner with Natilus for certification and to purchase the jets after regulatory hurdles have been cleared.

Natilus India will have its headquarters in Mumbai.

Natilus, founded in San Diego in 2016, is one of the companies that are looking to commercialize blended-wing jet designs. This concept has been explored for years in experimental and defense aircraft but not in mainstream airline service. Boeing and Airbus also have experimented over the years with blended-wing body concepts.

Natilus is pursuing certification under?Part 25 for its HORIZON Jet through the Federal Aviation Administration. It expects to see it on the market at the beginning of the next decade.

The?HORIZON will be a narrowbody jet that is similar to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, but with more interior space and lower operating costs. (Reporting and editing by Mrigank Dahniwala in Bengaluru)

(source: Reuters)