Mumbai: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a Certificate of Approval to the Air India Flying Training Academy at Belora Airport in Amravati, Maharashtra, paving the way for the facility to begin pilot training operations soon. The academy is expected to become South Asia’s largest flying training organisation (FTO), adding a major aviation training hub to the Vidarbha region.
Details Of The Project
The project, being developed jointly by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) and Tata Group-owned Air India, is around 95 per cent complete, with all 34 training aircraft having arrived at the airport.
The academy is expected to commence training within a month, with the first batch likely to comprise around 180 trainee pilots. The formal start date will be announced after the remaining administrative and operational formalities are completed.
The fleet includes 31 single-engine Piper Archer aircraft and three twin-engine Diamond DA42 NG aircraft. The planes are equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit systems and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, providing trainees with exposure to modern aviation equipment.
Spread across 10 acres, the academy campus includes hostel accommodation, a dining facility, modern classrooms, briefing rooms, aircraft hangars and dedicated maintenance infrastructure. It will also have three flight simulators, two for single-engine aircraft and one for multi-engine training, allowing students to practise procedures before undertaking actual flights. The academy plans to maintain a ratio of six trainees per flying instructor to ensure focused training and individual attention.
18-Month Commercial Pilot Training Programme
The academy will offer an 18-month Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) programme, requiring each trainee to complete 200 hours of flying. This will include 185 hours on single-engine aircraft and 15 hours on multi-engine aircraft.
Amravati's weather conditions are expected to support training throughout much of the year, with the location offering more than 300 potential flying days annually. This is expected to help trainees complete their required flying hours within the planned course duration.
The Air India Flying Training Academy is designed to provide end-to-end commercial pilot training, combining classroom instruction, practical flying experience, simulator sessions and mentorship from experienced aviation professionals.
With DGCA approval now in place and the training fleet assembled at Belora Airport, the academy is moving closer to starting operations. The project is expected to expand pilot-training capacity in India while positioning Amravati as a major centre for aviation education in South Asia.
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