The Regional Jet  Aircraft Program, the feasibility studies of which were conducted under the coordination of the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications for a long period of time, was launched in İstanbul by the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. With the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the STM that was appointed as the project’s main contractor by the Defence Industry Executive Committee and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in the USA owned by Eren and Fatih Özmen, a new has begun for the Turkish Aerospace Industry.

In his speech at the “Indigenous Aircraft” introduction ceremony at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu touched upon the added value this Project will be bringing to the Turkish economy and said, “Turkish aerospace sector entered into an extraordinary breakthrough. This sector that grows 5 percent worldwide recorded a growth of 15 percent in Turkey. Turkish Airlines became one of the most prominent brands of the world. Where the number of domestic passengers was 9 million in 2002, the current figure is 85 million. Again, where the total number of foreign passengers was 34 million, it is now 166 million. We initiated the construction of the world’s greatest airport in İstanbul in 2013. There was only one Airline Company namely Turkish Airlinesthat conducted flights to 26 points from 2 centers in domestic lines in 2003, today 6 airline companies conduct flights to 55 points from 7 centers. In light of such developments, an urgent need to concentrate on a model with certification and that is ready for manufacturing arose. With the purchase of Dornier’s all copyrights, this effort is being completed. Our indigenous national regional aircraft and our national combat aircraft will simultaneously be on the same sky in 2023. Actually, this is a Project that gathers and integrates our whole society. With our Indigineous Regional Jet Aircraft and Indigenous Fighter Jet Aircraft, a new era begins in which both civilian and military requirements will be covered”.