Six companies win bids to build flying training schools at AAI airports

AAI had bid airports at Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho, Lilabari as part of new policy to buttress its revenue

Six companies, including little-known entrepreneurs and a firm of the GMR group, have won bids to build flying schools at five Airport Authority of India (AAI) airports — Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho and Lilabari.
 
Fourteen bids were submitted for nine flying training schools that the central government intends to set up at these airports.
 
Sources said Samvardhane Technologies, SkyNex Aero, Asia Pacific Flight Academy (of the GMR group), JetServe Aviation group, Red Bird Flight Training Academy & Chimes Aviation declared winners in the bidding process.
 
“We have been successful to bid out all nine slots at these airports,” said a senior government official.
 
The aggressive bidding means windfall gains for the government-owned AAI, which was maintaining these idle airports at huge cost and earning almost zero revenue. AAI, in FY21, is staring at its first loss since inception due to impact of the pandemic.
 
The ministry of civil aviation had planned to turn non-operational airports into pilot academies to help meet burgeoning demand in India and overseas.
 
India’s pilot shortage means that the country’s fast-expanding carriers have to hire foreign pilots or even cancel flights at times.
 
This move is based on the recommendations by a committee under the chairmanship of Air Chief Marshal (retired) Fali Major. It is a part of the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat programme, under which India intends to double its flying training capacity.
 
Industry sources said despite India having over 30 flight training organisations, nearly one third of the aspiring pilots prefer training institutes abroad.
 
However, the government’s latest move will save valuable forex going out of the country. With growth in the Indian aviation sector, over 9,000 trained pilots would be required in the next five years.