Mumbai: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an official Certificate of Approval to the Air India Flying Training Academy (AIFTA) at Belora Airport in Maharashtra’s Amravati. The academy – set to become the largest flying training organisation (FTO) in South Asia – is expected to start its operations soon with the regulatory approval.
Air India-MADC Academy Nears Completion, Operations Expected Within A Month
Developed jointly by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) and Tata Group-owned Air India, the project stands at approximately 95% completion. With regulatory clearance now secured, training operations are scheduled to commence within a month, establishing South Asia’s largest FTO in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.
The Amravati academy marks the first time an Indian commercial airline has established a dedicated domestic flight training institution. The initiative aims to address the industry's critical pilot shortage by creating a self-reliant pipeline to train commercial flight deck crew locally, reducing historical reliance on foreign flight schools.
First Batch Of 180 Cadets To Undergo 18-Month Commercial Pilot Training
The inaugural batch will induct around 180 cadet pilots. Trainees will undergo an intensive 18-month Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) programme requiring 200 total flight hours – comprising 185 single-engine hours and 15 multi-engine hours. Amravati’s favourable climate offers more than 300 flying days annually, ensuring consistent, year-round flight schedules.
All 34 training aircraft ordered for the facility have arrived at Belora Airport. The fleet includes 31 US-built single-engine Piper PA-28-181 Archer aircraft and three twin-engine Diamond trainer aircraft from Austria. All aircraft are equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi glass-cockpit systems and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology.
Spread across 10 acres at Belora Airport, the academy is built to match global pilot training standards. The institution will house three flight simulation training devices – two for single-engine procedures and one for multi-engine training – for procedural and emergency practice. The facility will also provide digitally enabled classrooms, interactive briefing rooms, a digitised operations and dispatch center, student hostels, dining facilities, and a dedicated maintenance hangar. According to Air India, the academy will maintain a strict ratio of 6 trainees per flight instructor to ensure individual oversight and safety compliance.
The Amravati FTO will complement Air India’s flagship 6 lakh sq. ft. training academy in Gurugram, Haryana – the largest aviation training center in South Asia.
Under the airline's structured training program, cadets will complete ground school theoretical instruction in Gurugram before reporting to Amravati for core flight training. Following their CPL graduation in Amravati, cadets will return to Gurugram for type-rating certifications on commercial jetliners before entering active line operations.
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