Air India to Launch South Asia’s Largest Pilot Training Hub

3 months ago Editor

Air India is set to launch South Asia’s largest pilot training institute in Maharashtra, aiming to train 180 commercial pilots annually. This state-of-the-art facility will significantly boost India’s aviation sector.

Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has announced the establishment of a premier training institute at Amravati in Maharashtra, set to train 180 commercial pilots annually. Scheduled to commence operations in the first quarter of the next financial year, this DGCA-licensed Flight Training Organisation (FTO) at Belora Airport will be the largest in South Asia.

The facility, a first for any Indian airline, will feature 31 single-engine aircraft and three twin-engine aircraft. Air India secured a 30-year tender from the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to set up and operate this state-of-the-art training center.

Campbell Wilson, Managing Director and CEO of Air India, emphasized that the FTO will enhance India’s aviation self-reliance and create ample opportunities for aspiring pilots. “The young pilots from this FTO will drive Air India’s vision of becoming a world-class airline,” Wilson stated.

Spread over 10 acres, the institute will boast digitally-enabled classrooms, global-standard hostels, a digitized operation center, and a maintenance unit. Sunil Bhaskaran, Director of Aviation Academy at Air India, highlighted the institute’s world-class curriculum designed to match the best global aviation schools.

Swati Pandey, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of MADC, noted that this collaborative effort will significantly boost Maharashtra’s economy by generating over 3,000 jobs within the aviation sector and associated industries, contributing over Rs 1,000 crore to the state’s GDP in the coming decade.