- To graduate 180 commercial pilots every year. 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.
Air India 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). 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, said to be 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, 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 instil 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.
Air India to establish South Asia’s largest flying training academy in Amravati, Maharashtra
