568 Aviation colleges in India

Aviation is a very broad term which is associated with the art of design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft. The Aviation industry is gaining a lot of popularity these days. With the increase in the number of aviation companies, the demand for aviation professionals is on the rise. Apart from the good pay scale and flexible working hours, aviation as a career choice provides you with a chance to start young.

Aviation industry covers a range of courses from cabin crew training to ground staff, to ticket management, to aviation training. Students through these courses can gain an insight into aviation industry and understand how it has become an indispensable part of human life. Aspirants planning to pursue their career in the aviation industry will be most likely to be privy to various thrilling and exciting opportunities for travelling around the world. The course work also provides students with sufficient knowledge and experience to start their own aviation academy and businesses.

Most of the Aviation courses require applicants to possess excellent communication skills along with customer services as the job requires them to interact with customers every day. Candidates should also have sufficient information about airport security and first aid procedures to avoid panic and loss of lives during the case of emergency. Some aviation jobs also require candidates to have adequate knowledge about front office operations and computer applications.

Aviation Eligibility Criteria:

• In order to pursue a job as a cabin crew or ground staff in the aviation industry aspirants can be from any stream (Arts / Commerce / Science). But people aspiring to become an engineer or a pilot should have pursued Science at the school as well as graduation level. 

There are 520 aviation colleges in India which offer Aviation courses, out of these 300 colleges are private, 13 are public and rest are public/private. These offer full-time, part-time, distance-learning and online modes of study. Here is the list of some of the top private and public Aviation colleges in India:

The top aviation colleges in India accept score obtained by students in numerous national or state-level examinations, including MAT, CAT, SSAT, XAT, CMAT, JEE Main, TANCET, GATE, Karnataka PGCET, UPESMET and many more. There are several Aviation colleges in major cities across the country such as Delhi/ NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and so on.

Some of the courses offered at:

UG level:

• BSc in Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality
• Diploma in Airline Cabin Crew and Hospitality
• BBA in Aviation Management
• BSc in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
• BTech in Aeronautical Engineering
• Advanced Diploma in Air Cargo Management

PG level:

• ME in Avionics
• MBA in Aviation
• MSc in Aviation Management
• MBA in Airline and Airport Management

Doctorate level:

• PhD in Aviation Management

Scope of Aviation Courses in India

The Aviation industry is always looking for competent candidates who can work in one of the busiest industry in the world and can still keep their calm and poise. Successful graduates after completing their respective courses can apply for the following aviation job roles:

• Aircraft Electrical Installer or Technician
• Aircraft Manufacturing Engineer
• Pilot
• Airport Operations Manager
• Air Traffic Controller
• Aviation Maintenance Technician
• Quality Control Personnel
• Flight Steward/Stewardess (Airhostess)
• Ground Staff
• Air Ticketing Staff
• Air Hostess/ Cabin Crew
• Front-end Office Operator
• Steward
• Assistant Manager
• Airport Manager
• Cargo Department Manager

Top Recruiters for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers

The average salary for a fresher in the aviation industry varies as per their job roles. The starting salary for a cabin crew/ steward is Rs 5 - 7 lakh per year whereas for the ground staff the package is between Rs 4 - 6 lakh. Candidates after gaining sufficient experience can even start their own aviation training centers or can work as full-time grooming/ professional trainers. Below is the list of few top companies that recruit Aviation graduates along with their placement ratings:

Mode of Study

Aviation courses can be pursued from various colleges through different modes such as full-time,  part-time, distance-learning and online. Around 423 Aviation colleges offer full-time course and rest of the colleges offer part-time, distance-learning and online mode to the student for pursuing Aviation courses. Some of these colleges are tabulated below: 

Full-time Mode of Study

Some of the popular colleges/ universities that offer full-time Aviation courses are:

Distance/ Correspondence Mode of Study

The colleges/ universities that offer courses through distance/ correspondence mode are as follows:

Part-time – Classroom Mode of Study

Following colleges offer part-time classroom mode:

Online – Classroom Mode of Study

Following colleges offer online classroom mode:

 How affordable is studying Aviation Courses in India?

Based on the below pie chart, it can be estimated that pursuing Aviation courses in India is moderately priced as approximately 36% of the colleges have course/annual fees less than Rs 1 lakh. Some of these colleges are College of Engineering Guindy, Chennai, Anna University; Garware Institute of Career Education and Development, Mumbai, University of Mumbai; GMR Aviation Academy, Hyderabad; PTC Aviation Academy, Chennai; GMR Aviation Academy, Delhi, etc.

The fees of around 17% colleges is expensive i.e. more than Rs 5 lakh. Some of these colleges are Sha Shib Aviation Academy, Sha- Shib Group of Institutions, Kochi; Garware Institute of Career Education and Development, Mumbai, University of Mumbai; Institute of Aeronautics and Engineering, Sha-Shib Group of Institutions, Bhopal; Thakur Institute of Aviation Technology, Mumbai; Amity University, Noida and so on.

Approximately 17% of Aviation colleges have a moderately expensive fee structure that ranges between Rs 3-5 lakh. Some of these colleges are Acharya Bangalore B School, Bangalore; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal; SJES College of Management Studies, Bangalore International School of Hospitality Management, Kolkata Wingsss College of Aviation Technology, Pune and so on.

The fees of around 16% colleges is between Rs 1-2 lakh. Some of these colleges are Garware Institute of Career Education and Development, Mumbai, University of Mumbai; International School of Hospitality Management, Kolkata; GMR Aviation Academy, Hyderabad; Asia Pacific Institute of Management, Ahmedabad; GMR Aviation Academy, Delhi; Skybird Aviation, Bangalore, etc.

Only around 14% have a fee structure of Rs 2-3 lakh. These colleges are Amity University, Noida; Remo International College, Chennai; Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar; International School of Hospitality Management, Kolkata; SAGE University, Indore; St. Pauls College, Bangalore; Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy, Hyderabad, etc.

Refer to the infographic below to get a detailed overview of the break-up of Aviation Colleges in India basis fees:

Aviation Specialisations offered in India

Medical colleges in India offer diversified specialisations in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Travel and Tourism Management, Ground Staff, Avionics, Terminal Operations and Management, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Retail, Mechanical Engineering, etc. The most popular one is Aircraft Maintenance Engineering followed by Travel and Tourism Management. Refer to the infographic below to get a detailed overview of the top 10 Aviation specialisations in India:

Which are the most popular Aviation Exams in India?

The most popular entrance examinations for studying Aviation course in India are MAT and CAT. Scoring good marks in MAT and CAT will help you land in aviation colleges like Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, Chennai and International Institute for Aerospace Engineering and Management, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore; SSAT is your ticket to colleges like Sha-Shib Flying Academy, Sha- Shib Group of Institutions, Guna and Institute of Aeronautics and Engineering, Sha-Shib Group of Institutions; Bhopal, etc.

Rest of the colleges accept XAT, CMAT, JEE Main, TANCET, GATE, Karnataka PGCET, UPESMET, etc. for admission into their colleges.

Refer to the infographic below to get a detailed overview: