India to get 8 new 'Flying Training Academies'

Aviation safety aspects, regulatory mechanisms, experience in the field of training pilots on manned aircraft and the availability of equipment and trainers would be some of the parameters on which the bids were called by the AAI for these academies.

Under the liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), India is all set to get eight new Flying Training Academies, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said. According to the reports, the authority will set up these academies at five airports across the country – Belagavi and Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Jalgaon in Maharashtra, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and Lilabari in Assam. The ministry stated that the setting-up of these new academies is aimed at making India a “global flying training hub” and at preventing Indian cadets from leaving the country to get training at foreign academies. These FTAs will also cater the flying training requirements of cadets from the neighbouring countries, the ministry added.

AAI received accolades for successfully managing the bidding process for setting up the FTAs amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Civil Aviation Ministry said the five airports have been carefully chosen, considering the “minimal disruption” due to weather issues and civil, military air traffic. “This initiative will help the Indian flying training sector in becoming more self-sustaining under the Atmannirbhar Bharat initiative,” a ministry statement said.

The Airports Authority of India had invited bids for setting up the eight FTAs in November 2020, the ministry said.

"The award letters were issued on 31 May 2021 to winning bidders: Asia-Pacific, Jetserve, Redbird, Samvardhane and Skynex," the ministry said in a statement.

Aviation safety aspects, regulatory mechanisms, experience in the field of training pilots on manned aircraft and the availability of equipment and trainers would be some of the parameters on which the bids were called by the AAI for these academies. "To make FTOs (flying training organisations) attractive for bidders, AAI reduced the minimum annual rental significantly to Rs 15 lakh. Furthermore, the concept of airport royalty was scrapped to make these ventures business-friendly," the ministry added. 

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