Airports Authority of India (AAI) has identified six airports in the country including Belagavi and Kalburagi airports in Karnataka for setting up flying training schools, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to a question posed by BJP Member K C Ramamurthy, the minister said the bidding process for the selection of flying training operators is currently underway. The operators can also apply to DGCA for unmanned aircraft operations like drones etc. if they so desire, he said.
“Flying training operations at these airports will help increase the number of commercial pilots produced every year within India," the minister said.
The Centre has decided to set up six flying schools at underutilised airports in the country to meet the growing demand for pilots.
The decision to open new flying schools was taken on the recommendation of a committee of experts chaired by former Indian Air Force chief Fali H Major.
As per the Civil Aviation Ministry estimate, over the next five years, India would require an estimated 9,488 pilots to meet the growing demand of its burgeoning civil aviation sector. Currently, India’s scheduled airlines employ over 9,000 pilots.
The civil aviation regulator DGCA issues about 700-800 commercial pilot licenses every year, of which 30% are given to pilots who have undergone training in a foreign country.