Key Points

According to the official press release, the 50:50 joint venture facility was inaugurated by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, in the presence of Christian Scherer, Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Aircraft, Airbus; Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India and other dignitaries from the Tata Group, Air India and Airbus.

The new 12,000 sq metre center will be equipped with 10 Full Flight Simulators (FFSs), along with advanced classrooms and briefing rooms. The facility is designed to train pilots for the Airbus A320 and A350 aircraft families and its courses are approved by both the DGCA and EASA, ensuring that India's pilot training meets the highest global standards.The facility is currently equipped with two Full Flight Simulators for Airbus A320 family aircraft. The remaining six A320 simulators and two A350 simulators will be installed progressively, the release said.

In a X post, Union Minister wrote, "Had the honour of inaugurating the Air India-Airbus Pilot Training Centre at Air India's Aviation Training Academy alongside Airbus Board Chairman, Rene Obermann and Air India CEO, Campbell Wilson."

https://x.com/RamMNK/status/1972983691698983178

Jurgen Westermeier, President & Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said: "We are very proud to partner with Air India and the Tata Group on this critical infrastructure project. The inauguration of the training center is a testament to our shared vision for the future of Indian aviation. This is more than a joint venture; it is a strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry itself. India is a strategic powerhouse for Airbus, and this state-of-the-art facility is a testament to our belief in its immense potential."

Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, said: "Air India is in an expansion mode with 570 new aircraft on order and the new pilot training centre at our Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, a part of which is being executed with Airbus, will help train and upskill pilots who will fuel Air India's ambition of becoming a world-class airline. This facility is a major step forward in our transformation journey and in making Air India and the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant. With our partners Airbus, we are playing our part in building the aviation infrastructure that India needs as one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets."

With this training centre, Air India is consolidating its pilot training infrastructure from across the country into the Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, the release added.

The Air India Aviation Training Academy is South Asia's biggest aviation training academy. It was set up in 2024 and is currently training over 2,000 aviation professionals every day, it said.

The academy is expected to train over 50,000 aviation professionals including pilots, cabin crew, ground handling, engineering, and security staff, over the next few years, the release added.

With world-class equipment and the latest technology, the training academy currently provides immersive industry-best training with safety as a core focus.

The aviation academy has best-in-class equipment for immersive training on Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP) along with service training, grooming, voice, and accent training for cabin crew. Training for ground and security staff covers key functions such as departure control, customer service, airport security, and refreshers, it said.

In addition, Air India is also in the process of setting up South Asia's largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati in Maharashtra. The DGCA-licensed FTO at Amravati's Belora airport will target to graduate 180 commercial pilots every year, helping fulfil demand for pilots as Air India expands its fleet, the release said.

A new Basic Maintenance Training Organization (BMTO) is also coming up near Air India's new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru that will be operational in FY27. The BMTO will offer a two-year integrated Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) program certified by DGCA followed by two years of practical on-job training at the MRO.

- ANI