More than 5,000 new pilots will be trained during the course of the next 10 years in the advanced pilot training centre at Gurugram, which was inaugurated on Tuesday by Ram Mohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister. The advanced facility is a joint venture between Airbus and Air India.
Naidu said, “Through this joint venture, ten trailblazing simulators, including India’s first A350 simulators, will be installed with a planned investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore.” Billing it as a milestone for India’s quickly growing aviation ecosystem, the Minister added, “This landmark facility will guarantee self-reliance in pilot training, advancing PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
An official release from the airline said the Air India-Airbus training centre will support the growth of commercial aviation in India. “It is intended to train pilots for the Airbus 320 and A350 aircraft and its courses are approved by both the DGCA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.”
The 12,000 sqm centre now has two Rull Flight Simulators for the Airbus A320 family aircraft. It will have six A320 simulators and two A350 simulators progressively, the release said.
In the words of, JürgenWestermeier, President & Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, “This is more than a joint venture; it is a strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry. India is a powerhouse for Airbus, and this hi-tech facility is a testament to our belief in its enormous potential.”
Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, said: “Air India is expanding with 570 new aircraft on order and the new pilot training centre at our Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, a part of which is being executed with Airbus, will help train pilots who will fuel Air India’s ambition of becoming a top-notch airline. This capacity is a step forward in our transformation journey and in making Air India and the Indian aviation industry more self-sufficient.”
The existing Air India Aviation Training Academy, which was opened in 2024, is already the largest aviation training academy in South Asia. It is presently training more than 2,000 aviation professionals. As per the release, within the next few years, it will train more than 50,000 aviation experts. It features the best equipment for immersive training in Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP), accompanied by grooming, service training, voice and accent training for cabin crew.
Moreover, Air India is also setting up South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati in Maharashtra, which will graduate 180 commercial pilots annually, it added.
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