Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has told parliament that there is no shortage of pilots in India. The Winter Session of parliament is underway. In this, departmental ministers are answering the questions of the members. In that regard, Union minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh has given a written answer in the rajya sabha to the question about shortage of pilots and commercial pilot licenses.
The reply said: “There is no dearth of pilots in the country. However, there is a shortage of commanders in some types of aircraft, which is addressed through the use of foreign pilots through the Foreign Airmen Temporary Authorization (FADA).
Air india Limited and Interglobe Aviation Limited have placed orders for new aircraft in the last one year. The central government has taken various steps to establish more Flight Training Schools across the country to train large number of commercial pilots. From 2021, after a competitive bidding process, AAI has awarded 15 FTO slots at 10 airports, 5 of which are operational. Among these FDOs, helicopter training is imparted at Khajuraho.
The indira gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) at Amethi has been allowed to conduct pilot training at Gondia (Maharashtra) and Kalapuragi (Karnataka) to increase its flying hours and aircraft utilization. At present, there are 34 Flying Training Organizations (FTOs) operating at 55 bases in the country, which impart flying training to cadets. A total of 1491 commercial pilot licenses have been issued so far in the current year 2023 (till November).” This was stated in the minister's reply.
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