GURUGRAM: Air India, India’s leading global airline, has placed an order for 34 trainer aircraft as it prepares to start training cadet pilots at South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) coming up in Amravati, Maharashtra by the second half of 2025, post regulatory approvals.

The order includes 31 single-engine aircraft from Piper Aircraft in the United States and 3 twin-engine aircraft from Diamond Aircraft in Austria.

The FTO is a leap forward in Air India’s commitment to bolster its training infrastructure as part of its Vihaan.AI transformation program and cultivate a pipeline of pilots as it expands its fleet, becoming self-reliant.

The trainer aircraft, due for delivery starting in 2025, are equipped with glass cockpits, G1000 avionics systems, and Jet A1 engines that will ensure advanced training for aspiring pilots.

The FTO is coming up at Amravati’s Belora airport and will target to graduate 180 commercial pilots every year.

“The new FTO is a strategic move to exponentially expand our training infrastructure and our commitment to building a self-reliant ecosystem of qualified pilots for both Air India and the Indian aviation industry. With this order of 34 trainer aircraft to support South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation, we are delighted to be playing a part in building the aviation infrastructure India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and to support the government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said Sunil Bhaskaran, Director, Aviation Academy, Air India.

As part of its commitment to invest in aviation training, Air India opened its new Aviation Training Academy, spread over 600,000 sq ft, the largest in South Asia, in Gurugram. It is also the first airline in India to announce the setting up of an FTO that will complement Air India’s commitment to power India’s aviation ecosystem in the coming years.

At the FTO in Amravati, Air India is developing a state-of-the-art training institute over 10 acres, with digitally enabled classrooms at par with global academies, hostels, a digitized operations center, and its maintenance facility to elevate operational efficiency. The FTO is curated to deliver best-in-class training with high safety standards.

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•  The pilot training facility at Amravati in Maharashtra will be operational in Q1 FY26
• Will have 31 single-engine and three twin-engine aircraft for training

GURUGRAM: Air India, India’s leading global airline, is setting up South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati in Maharashtra as part of an initiative by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC). This FTO will service the ambitions of the airline as it moves ahead in its transformation journey and strengthen the available pilot training capacity in India.

The DGCA-licensed FTO at Amravati’s Belora airport will be operational by Q1 FY26 and will target to graduate 180 commercial pilots every year.

The Air India FTO, the first by any Indian airline in the country, will have 31 single-engine aircraft and 3 twin-engine aircraft for training.

Air India has been awarded a tender by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to establish and operate this DGCA-licensed FTO in Amravati for a period of 30 years.

Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, of Air India, said: “The FTO at Amravati will be a significant step towards making Indian aviation more self-reliant and offering more opportunities to the youth in India to fulfill their ambitions of flying as pilots. The young pilots coming out of this FTO will fuel Air India’s ambition of becoming a world-class airline, as it moves ahead in its transformation journey.”

“The FTO will be operational by Q1 FY26 and offer aspiring pilots an opportunity to undergo training with world-class curricula at par with best-in-class global schools. We are delighted to be playing a part in building the aviation infrastructure India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and to support the government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said Sunil Bhaskaran, Director, Aviation Academy, Air India.

“This collaborative initiative between MADC and Air India will not only boost the economy of Maharashtra by focusing on over 3,000 new employment opportunities within the aviation sector, but also create employment in multifarious allied activities in skilling, technical and small entrepreneurial ventures culminating in an impressive contribution of over Rs 1,000 crore to the state’s GDP over the next decade. The establishment of South Asia’s largest FTO will certainly encourage students in Maharashtra to pursue careers in aviation which would further instill a deep sense of inspiration and pride for the state of Maharashtra and the Indian citizenry,” said Swati Pandey, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Maharashtra Airport Development Company.

At the FTO in Amravati, Air India will develop a state-of-the-art training institute over 10 acres, with digitally enabled classrooms, hostels at par with global academies, a digitized operations center, and its own maintenance facility to elevate operational efficiency. The FTO is curated to deliver the highest safety standards and best-in-class training.

As part of its commitment to invest in aviation training, Air India earlier this year announced its new Training Academy, spread over 600,000 sq ft, the largest in South Asia, in Gurugram. This new FTO in Amravati will complement Air India’s commitment to power India’s aviation ecosystem in the coming years.

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