Air India To Set Up Its Own Pilot Training Academy, Anticipating Shortage Of Pilots

Anticipating a shortage of pilots, Air India will establish a school in Maharashtra’s Amravati to train up to 180 pilots annually. 

Aspiring pilots with no prior flying experience can enroll in the full-time academy and will have a direct pathway to Air India’s cockpit upon completing subsequent stages of training. 

This marks a significant shift in how Indian airlines have traditionally trained pilots. Until now, major carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet have set up branded training programmes in collaboration with independent flight schools in India and abroad. For example, IndiGo has partnerships with seven flight schools. 

Air India has opted for around 30 single-engine and four multi-engine aircraft from the American company Piper and European manufacturer Diamond. 

Air India wants to control the supply of the next generation of pilots. The school will be a crucial part of the national carrier’s long-term talent pipeline. Secondly, the airline wants to ensure the quality of training. The quality of training in flying schools in India has many gaps, forcing students to go abroad, according to a leading media house. 

The Tata-group-owned airline has placed an order for 470 aircraft and CEO Campbell Wilson said that they will induct one new aircraft every six days in 2024. 

The government is pushing to promote commercial pilot training within India, as over 40 per cent of students go abroad for training, which costs as high as Rs 1.5 to two crore. 

Initially, the school will cater to internal requirements, but the Tata group sees an opportunity to meet external needs in the future. 

The airline has also set up its own training centre in Gurgaon in partnership with Airbus and US-based L3 Harris, which houses six simulators to provide type-rated and recurrent training to its pilots. 

According to aviation training rules, an aspiring pilot must first undergo ab initio training to obtain a license. Type-rated training is required to be trained on a specific aircraft type, like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, to gain the necessary license endorsements. Recurrent training is required annually to ensure the pilot retains the necessary license endorsements. 

Former AirAsia India CEO and Tata group veteran Sunil Bhaskaran, who is currently the managing director of Air India Aviation Academy, is overseeing the establishment of the airline’s training infrastructure. 

Record aircraft orders by Indian airlines will increase the demand for flight simulation centres as airlines rush to have trained pilots. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa together have ordered around 1,250 aircraft to be delivered over the next decade.