Lok Sabha Question No. 156 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-20
Subject: Training Infrastructure in Aviation Sector
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: S. Jagathrakshakan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 156

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  20th July 2023 )

TRAINING INFRASTRUCTURE IN AVIATION SECTOR 156.    SHRI S. JAGATHRAKSHAKAN

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government agrees with the view that the country needs  to  significantly  ramp  up  training  in  areas  of  inflight  and engineering;
- (b) if so, the steps proposed to be taken by the Government keeping in  view  the  fact  that  the  country  presently  has  35  Flying  Training Organisations (FTOs) or flying schools at 53 locations only; and (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of (GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

CIVIL  AVIATION

- (a)  to  (c)  As  on  date,  there  are  36  Flying  training  organizations (FTOs) operating at 57 bases. There are 54 AME Training Institutes approved by Directorate General of civil Aviation (DGCA). A total of 1165 CPLs were issued in 2022. The estimated supply of engineers from  DGCA    approved  AME  Training  Institutes  is  around  3500  per year to cater to the demands of the aviation industry.;

;

The  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  and  regulate training infrastructure for civil aviation sector include the following: (i)  To  augment  the  supply  of  trained  pilots  in  the  country,  the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has brought out a liberalised Flying Training  Organisation  (FTO)  policy  whereby  the  concept  of  airport royalty (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised.

(ii)  In  2021,  after  a  competitive  bidding  process,  AAI  has  awarded nine  FTO  slots  at  five  airports  at  Belagavi  (Karnataka),  Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and  Lilabari  (Assam).  In  June  2022,  under  the  second  round  of bidding, six FTO slots were awarded by AAI at five airports namely: two slots at Bhavnagar  (Gujarat), and one each at Hubballi (Karnataka),  Kadappa  (Andhra  Pradesh),  Kishangarh  (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu). (iii)  Directorate  General  of  Civil  Aviation  (DGCA)  has  introduced Online-On Demand Examination (OLODE) for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) candidates with effect  from  November  2021.  This  facility  allows  candidates  to choose the date and time from the available exam slots. (iv) DGCA has modified its regulations to empower Flying Instructors  with  the  right  to  authorise  flight  operations  at  FTOs. This  was  earlier  restricted  to  the  Chief  Flying  Instructor  (CFI)  or Deputy CFIs only. (v)  DGCA  issued  regulation,  CAR-147  (Basic)  -  approved  Basic maintenance Training organisation. The regulations are in line with international  standards  of  International  Civil  Aviation  Organisation (ICAO)  and  harmonised  as  per  EASA  regulations.  The  regulation streamlines  the  syllabus  and  skilled  training  requirements  for  the development  of  competent/  skilled  manpower  for  maintenance  of aircraft.; ;

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