Business News

Anticipating a shortage of pilots, Air India is setting up a school in Maharashtra’s Amravati to train as many as 180 pilots a year.Aspiring pilots with no flying experience will be able to enter the full-time academy and will have a direct pathway to Air India’s cockpit after completing the next stages of training.This is a major shift in strategy on how Indian airlines have looked to train pilots- where till now major carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet have set up branded training programs affiliated with independent flight schools in India and abroad. For instance, IndiGo has a tie-up with seven flight schools.The airline has opted for around 30 single engine and four multi-engine aircraft from American company Piper and European manufacturer Diamond. “Air India wants to be in control of the supply next generation of pilots which. The school will be a critical part of the national carrier’s long-term talent pipeline. Second is the airline wants to ensure quality of training. The quality of training in flying schools in India leaves a lot of gap forcing students to go abroad,” said a person aware of the development. 111066615The Tata-group-owned airline has placed an order for 470 aircraft and CEO Campbell Wilsons said that they will induct one new aircraft every six days in 2024.The government is pushing to promote commercial pilot training inside India as over 40% students go abroad for training which costs as high as Rs 1.5-2 Crore.While initially, the school will cater to internal requirements, the Tata group sees an opportunity to catering to external needs in future.The airline has also set up its own training centre at Gurgaon in partnership with Airbus & US-based L3 Harris which houses six simulators to provide type-rated and recurrent training to its pilots.According to aviation training rules, aspiring pilot must first undergo ab initio training to obtain a licence, while type-rated training is required in order to be trained at the controls of a particular aircraft type like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 and gains the necessary licence endorsements. Recurrent training is required annually to ensure that the pilot retains the necessary licence endorsements.Former AirAsia India CEO and Tata group veteran Sunil Bhaskaran who is currently the managing director of Air India Aviation Academy is overseeing the setting up of the airline’s training infrastructure.Record aircraft orders by Indian airlines will increase the demand for flight simulation centres as airlines scramble to have trained pilots. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa together have ordered around 1,250 aircraft in order to be delivered in the next decade."The shortages of trained resources is far more serious than currently estimated or visible for Indian airlines and poaching by Middle Eastern carriers is likely to accentuate the labour shortage issue," Kapil Kaul, CEO at CAPA India said.

Tata Group's budget carrier Air India Express announced on Monday that it had completed Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) by the International Air Transportation Authority (IATA), the trade association of airlines worldwide.Improving airline operational safety and enhancing efficiency are the two key elements of the IOSA registration. The audit looks at corporate organization and management, flight operations, operational control and flight dispatch among other key areas. '’We are proud to announce our successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The IOSA is a rigorous evaluation process, and achieving this distinction reinforces our commitment to upholding the highest international standards across all aspects of our operations," said Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express.A while back, the low-budget carrier faced turbulence with its crew members after a mass sick leave was staged which led to the cancellation of several flights. Around 200 cabin crew members of Air India Express went on strike on May 7, to protest against the alleged mismanagement in the airline.Consequently, the airline management terminated the services of 25 cabin crew members and warned the others to join work or else face the same action. The protest was later called off. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) has termed the alleged issuance of charge-sheet by the airline's management to around 200-odd cabin crew members for reporting sick during last month's strike as unfortunate and unfair labour practice.

An IndiGo flight scheduled from Delhi to Bagdogra faced a delay of nearly four hours on Monday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to a technical issue attributed to exceptionally high ground temperatures. The delay, caused by the ongoing heatwave in Delhi where temperatures have soared to 45°C, led to flight 6E 2521 departing significantly later than its scheduled time of 2:10 PM. According to FlightRadar24, the flight eventually took off around 6:15 PM.Bagdogra Airport, situated near Siliguri in West Bengal, was the intended destination where the flight was supposed to land at 4:10 PM. An IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged the delay, citing the adverse impact of high ground temperatures on flight operations. The airline emphasised its commitment to passenger safety and stated that efforts were underway to facilitate an expedient departure."IndiGO flight 6E 2521 between Delhi and Bagdogra was delayed due to high ground temperatures impeding operations. IndiGo prioritises passenger safety above all else and is taking steps to enable a prompt departure. Passengers are being provided with regular updates and we regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond the airline's control," said IndiGo spokesperson. Inputs from TOI