Aviation institutes on cloud nine as more airlines set to dot Indian skies

Training schools, big and small, experience a surge in student intake

The Indian aviation market is set to witness a lot of action in the coming months. Just last week, Andhra Pradesh-based Air Costa started commercial operations. Waiting in the wings are Air Asia and Tata Singapore Airline joint venture.

While customers will have more options to fly with the entry of new players, the biggest beneficiary seems to be the aviation training institutes. Already, leading aviation institutes such as Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Aptech Aviation and Hospitality Academy and Jet Airways Training Academy are experiencing an increase in the number of students seeking admission to various aviation courses.

There has been a discernible rise in the number of applicants for such programmes, says Shrutidhar Paliwal, vice-president for corporate communications and media relations at Aptech Aviation. "We have grown around 10 per cent year till date, compared to the last year."

FLYING HIGH

• Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Aptech Aviation and Hospitality Academy, Jet Airways Training Academy and IIFLY Institute for Aviation are seeing an increased demand from students
• Demand for cabin crew course is on the rise, followed by other courses like hospitality management and airport ground handling
• Brighter job prospects with new airline JVs being forged is a reason
• Demand for skilled talent by new players is being seen by institutes
• Not just national carriers, international players also recruit from top schools in India
• Placement prospects will rise as foreign players are getting aggressive in the Indian market
• With increased competition for talent, starting salaries might also rise by 10-15 per cent

MBA and BBA in aviation management and diplomas in aviation management are the most sought-after programmes, Paliwal informs.

According to aviation institutes, new airlines will bring in huge employment opportunities for fresh aviation course graduates. Apart from the newcomers, existing players such as Indigo, GoAir, Singapore Airlines and some international players with serious plans to enter India are also hiring skilled graduates from top institutes.

Samir Walia, president (marketing and corporate communications) at Frankfinn says: "There is a relatively positive cycle of admissions. With the positive news of new airline companies being set up, this will be an advantage for our industry. With the number of players in the aviation sector increasing, the need for skilled manpower will go up."

Frankfinn, in its franchisees, has six to seven batches with 20-30 students each. The institute has about 65 centres in metro cities as well as smaller towns such as Coimbatore, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Demand from these small towns is tremendous.

Not just private institutes, aviation institutes promoted by airline companies, such as Jet Airways Training Academy, are also seeing an increase in the number of applicants. "This year has seen a positive trend with most domestic and international (West Asia region) airlines recruiting aviation staff. The in-flight and airport services courses are the most popular," says a Jet Airways spokesperson.

With large foreign players increasing their presence in India, the placement prospects for candidates have become brighter, says a senior official from one of the aviation institutes in Mumbai.

While students of airline-promoted institutes have a good chance of being absorbed into the promoter airline, it is not uncommon for them to be offered opportunities in other airline companies as well.

"With new aviation joint ventures being forged, it is expected to create a huge demand for skilled service personnel," the Jet Airways spokesperson adds. The academy has branches in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

Going forward, the demand is expected to rise, says Paliwal. "These programmes not only impart relevant aviation knowledge, but also impart management skills. The blend of understanding the nuances of aviation operations along with customer service and effective work management principles gives our candidate an edge over others. Moreover, these are the skill sets airline companies want in their employees. Especially with the growth the aviation companies have chartered for themselves, the need of skilled manpower is their prime requirement."

Not just large institutes, smaller aviation training institutes, too, get a lot of enquiries these days, as Dhiraaj Badkar, operations manager at IIFLY Institute for Aviation, confirms. He says the diploma courses in airport ground handling and cabin crew are the most popular at his institute. Student intake at IIFLY has swelled to 120 this year, compared with 90 in 2012.