Air India, Airbus set up pilot training facility in Haryana; plans Rs 1,000 cr investment for simulators

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Air India and Airbus have established a joint venture training facility in Haryana to train pilots for A320 and A350 family aircraft, with a planned investment of over Rs 1,000 crore for simulators.

The advanced pilot training centre at the Air India Aviation Training Academy will train more than 5,000 new pilots over the next decade, the airline said in a release on Tuesday.

The equal joint venture facility, spread over 12,000 square metres, will have 10 full-flight simulators, along with advanced classrooms and briefing rooms. It was inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday.

Currently, it has two full-flight simulators for A320 family aircraft. The remaining six A320 simulators and two A350 simulators will be installed progressively.

Naidu, in a post on X, said the simulators will be installed with an investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore.

"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.

"Through this joint venture, 10 cutting-edge simulators, including India's first A350 simulators, will be installed with a planned investment of over (Rs) 1,000 crore," the minister said in a post on X.

Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said it 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." Wilson said the facility is a major step forward in its transformation journey and in making the airline and the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant.

The loss-making airline, which was taken over by the Tata Group in January 2022, has placed orders for 570 new aircraft, including narrow-body and wide-body Airbus and Boeing planes.

With the training centre, the airline said it is consolidating its pilot training infrastructure at the Air India Aviation Training Academy, which is located in Gurugram, Haryana.

In a separate release, Airbus said the Gurugram facility will complement the four A320 family full-flight simulators at the existing Airbus India Training Centre in the national capital.

Together, these two hubs will house a combined total of 14 full-flight simulators, creating a powerful training network. In addition, Airbus is collaborating with local partners to provide world-class maintenance training, ensuring a robust pipeline of technicians and engineers to support the future fleet, it added.

Set up in 2024, the Air India Aviation Training Academy expects to train over 50,000 aviation professionals, including pilots, cabin crew, ground handling, engineering, and security staff, over the next few years.

The airline said it is also setting up South Asia's largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati in Maharashtra.

Also, a new Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO) is being set 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) programme certified by DGCA, followed by two years of practical on-the-job training at the MRO, the release said. PTI RAM IAS BAL BAL