Air India is reportedly setting up a flying school in Maharashtra’s Amravati. The school is expected to train as many as 180 pilots a year. While the school will cater to internal requirements initially, the Tata Group that owns the airline, sees potential in catering to external needs in the future too.
According to a report in The Economic Times, aspiring pilots who have no prior experience of flying would be able to enter the full-time academy. This will pave the way for them to Air India’s cockpits after completing the full training programme.
The report quoted a source who said that Air India wants to be in control of the supply of the next generation pilots. It would also be crucial for the carrier’s long-term talent pipeline. The carrier also wants to enhance the quality of training in the country, the source added.
Meanwhile, the airline has set up its own training centre in Gurugram in partnership with Airbus and US-based L3 Harris that has six simulators. Similarly, other airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet also have branded training programmes affiliated with independent flight schools in India and abroad.
Aspiring pilots require to undergo ab initio training to obtain a licence but aircraft like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 require type-rated training, as well as necessary licence endorsements. On top of that, recurrent training is required annually to ensure the pilot retains the necessary licence endorsements, the report added.
The flight school development also comes amid the government’s push to promote commercial pilot training within India. Many students go abroad for training, which is expensive and can go as high as Rs 2 crore.
Moreover, IndiGo, Air India and Akasa have together placed orders for around 1,250 aircraft to be delivered in the next decade, which automatically increases the demand for pilots.