Airbus to set up its first Asia training facility in Delhi

Aircraft maker Airbus will set up a training facility for pilots and maintenance engineers in the national capital to cater to the growing demand of skilled people in the domestic aviation space. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the Airbus India Training Centre, which will be located close to the international airport here.

This will also be the first training facility of Airbus in Asia. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2018. India is one of the fastest growing domestic aviation markets in the world and is forecast to grow at an annualised rate of 9.3 per cent over the next 20 years.

"India's rapidly growing passenger aircraft fleet must be matched by adequate availability of skilled pilots and maintenance engineers," Raju said. The training centre will help augment the talent pool of such personnel and be a force multiplier for the domestic aviation sector. As per estimates, at least 1,600 new passenger and freighter planes will be required in India by 2035.

The increase in Indian in-service aircraft fleet will lead to an accompanying need for over 24,000 new pilots and maintenance engineers, according to Airbus. The centre will mainly cater to Airbus operators in India and the region. The company has over 250 aircraft in service in the country and more than 570 are on order by Indian airlines.

"We have only scratched the surface when it comes to the growth of civil aviation in India. This training centre will be the first such facility fully owned by us in Asia," Airbus CEO Tom Enders said.

The centre, to be built in a modular concept, is expected to be operational by the end of 2018, with two A320 full flight simulators. "It will start with an initial capacity to train over 800 pilots and 200 maintenance engineers annually," Airbus said. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha was also present at the function.