Anticipating pilot shortage, Air India to launch its own training school

Air India's initiative marks a departure from the traditional approach of Indian airlines, which have typically partnered with independent flight schools both domestically and internationally

In response to an anticipated pilot shortage in the Indian aviation sector, Air India is establishing a pilot training academy in Amravati, Maharashtra, with a capacity to train 180 pilots annually, according to a report by The Economic Times.

This full-time academy will allow aspiring pilots with no prior flying experience to directly join Air India’s fleet after completing their training, the report said.

This initiative marks a significant departure from the traditional approach of Indian airlines, which have generally collaborated with independent flight schools domestically and internationally. IndiGo has partnerships with seven such flight schools.

Air India has acquired approximately 30 single-engine and four multi-engine aircraft from American company Piper and European manufacturer Diamond for this purpose, the report said.

Meanwhile, the government is encouraging pilot training within India, as currently, over 40 per cent of students pursue their training abroad at a cost of Rs 1.5-2 crore.

Initially, the academy will focus on meeting Air India’s internal needs, but the Tata group plans to eventually offer training to external candidates as well, the business-daily said.

Additionally, Air India has partnered with Airbus and US-based L3 Harris to establish a training centre in Gururgram, featuring six simulators for type-rated and recurrent training, the news report said.

Pilot training and infrastructure development

Aviation training regulations require aspiring pilots to complete ab initio (from the beginning) training for a licence, type-rated training for specific aircraft like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, and annual recurrent training to maintain their licence endorsements.

Sunil Bhaskaran, former CEO of AirAsia India and a veteran of the Tata group, is leading the development of Air India's training infrastructure, the newspaper report added.

The large aircraft orders by Indian airlines are expected to drive the demand for flight simulation centres, as carriers like IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa have collectively ordered around 1,250 aircraft which will be delivered over the next decade.

Passenger complaints against Air India

Recently, Air India faced scrutiny after journalist Mathures Paul reported finding a metal blade in his meal on flight AI 175 from Bengaluru to San Francisco. The passenger shared his ordeal on X (formerly Twitter) that he discovered the blade after chewing it for a few seconds. Air India contacted him later, offering a complimentary business class flight as compensation, which he declined, calling it a “bribe”.

Air India acknowledged the incident, confirming the presence of a “foreign object” in the meal.

Meanwhile, another passenger, Vineeth K, described his experience with Air India as a “nightmare”, citing issues with uncooked food and unclean, worn-out business class seats. Vineeth had chosen Air India for its direct flights to New York, Chicago, and London, but was disappointed with the service quality.