Pipistrel, the Slovenia-based ultralight electric aircraft maker, has delivered nearly 200 aircraft to the Indian ministry of defence, the company announced on Tuesday, saying that it was happy to finish the delivery despite warnings from other players in the industry that this was too tall an order for the company. Pipistrel said in a press release that it had delivered to the final shipment of aircraft from the order that totalled 194 planes. Pipistrel boss and owner Ivo Boscarol said that he had been warned by „big players in the aviation industry that it was impossible to work with India and that we will never be able to finish the contract successfully“. „But all of us, working together as a strong team, have managed to do just that,“ said Boscarol. „This has brought us great respect not only in India but also in the military-related environment in general. This contract will have opened a lot of doors for us in the future.“ The press release said that Pipistrel had met the delivery conditions, while services like maintenance, customer support and supply of spare parts will be provided for a long time after this first stage is completed. When the contract was signed in 2015, it was the largest order of ultralight aircraft ever in the world. Pipistrel did not reveal the figures but Indian media reported that the contract was worth US$20 million. Pipistrel delivered the virus SW 80 Garud aircraft to 85 locations throughout India, where its team assembled and tested them before handing them over to the buyer. Pipistrel also provided training for a large number of technicians and engineers in India. The high-performance aircraft will be used in pilot training. Pipistrel won the deal in strong international competition. Quelle: ‚Slovenia Times‚.