IAA takes Afghan aviation professionals under its wing

India has been approached by the United Nations and Afghanistan to train aviation professionals in the war-torn country where the international body is in the process of handing over airports.

The Indian Aviation Academy (IAA), a wing of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is now imparting training to civil aviation professionals associated with airport operations in Afghanistan.

Senior functionaries from the United Nations Office of Projects Services (UNOPS) and Afghanistan government held a meeting with AAI Chairman Alok Sinha on Wednesday to work out the modalities to conduct the training.

Presently, a batch of officers from Afghanistan is undergoing a two-month training in airport management at the IAA’s Delhi facility. The training of this batch ends on July 25, a senior official said.

As per the IAA calendar for 2014-15, Afghan officials are the only foreigners for whom a training programme is scheduled.

The IAA, an autonomous body, provides specialised training in various subjects including cargo operations, airport passenger operations, commercial aspects, airport finance, airport engineering, aviation law and airport general management.

The academy, which aims to become a deemed university in due course of time, trains employees of the AAI, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security under one roof.

The IAA has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Civil Aviation Organisation to have fellowship programmes for developing countries.