The first production Tejas Mk 1A takes off from the HAL airport in Bangalore on 28 March 2024. (HAL)

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has test-flown its first production Tejas Mk 1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). However, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is unlikely to get the aircraft until mid-2024, an industry source told
Janes
.

According to HAL, the first production aircraft, serial no LA-5033, conducted an 18-minute successful sortie from the HAL airport in Bengaluru on 28 March. HAL intended to deliver at least one Tejas Mk 1A to the IAF by February 2024, a deadline that was subsequently moved up to 31 March.
Janes
understands that the handover of LA-5033 to the IAF could possibly require at least two additional months.

An industry source told
Janes
that the delay in delivery is because of ongoing “disruptions in the supply chain” for the programme.