MoCA has taken several steps to deal with the shortage of Pilot Training Schools

In order to address the shortage of pilot training schools in the country, the Government has taken the following steps:

(i) In 2020, Airports Authority of India (AAI) came up with a liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy wherein airport royalty payments (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) was abolished and land rentals were significantly rationalised.

(ii) In 2021, after a competitive bidding process, AAI issued letters of award for nine FTO slots at five airports at Belagavi (Karnataka), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and Lilabari (Assam). As on 30th June 2022, four of these FTOs have commenced commercial operations - two at Kalaburagi and one each at Jalgaon and Lilabari.

(iii) In June 2022, after a competitive bidding process, six more FTO slots were awarded by AAI at five airports namely: Bhavnagar (Gujarat), Hubballi (Karnataka), Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu).

The award letters were given to the winning bidders in May 2021. One FTO commenced operations in April 2022 and three in June 2022. The entire process - involving contracting, civil construction (hangar, apron, taxiway etc), aircraft fleet procurement, multiple regulatory approvals (from DGCA, BCAS, DGFT, AAI, Fire authorities etc.) and final commissioning - was completed in a short period of 11-13 months.

The establishment of new FTOs has been done on priority, despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, weather and other factors, with close monitoring by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Normally these activities - from letter of award to commissioning stage - take approximately 18 to 24 months.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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YB/DNS