Air India orders 34 planes for its flying school

Air India has placed an order for 34 trainer aircraft as it prepares to start training cadet pilots at its flying school in Amravati, Maharashtra, by the second half of 2025, the airline said on Thursday. The order includes 31 single-engine aircraft from Piper Aircraft in the United States and three twin-engine aircraft from Diamond Aircraft in Austria. The trainer aircraft, due for delivery in 2025, are equipped with glass cockpits, G1000 avionics systems, and Jet A1 engines to ensure advanced training for aspiring pilots. The flying school is coming up at Amravati’s Belora airport and aims to graduate 180 commercial pilots annually. It will be spread over 10 acres and include digitally enabled classrooms, hostels, a digital operations center, and a maintenance facility. “The new FTO is a strategic move to exponentially expand our training infrastructure and our commitment to building a self-reliant ecosystem of qualified pilots for both Air India and the Indian aviation industry. With this order of 34 trainer aircraft to support South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation, we are delighted to be playing a part in building the aviation infrastructure India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and to support the government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said Sunil Bhaskaran, Director, Aviation Academy, Air India. Air India recently opened its Aviation Training Academy, spread over 600,000 sq ft, the largest in South Asia, in Gurugram. It is also the first airline in India to announce the setting up a dedicated flying school. Air India employs more than 30,000 people, operates over 300 aircraft, flies to 55 domestic and 48 international destinations, and is investing millions after a 2022 privatization that saw the Tata Group take over the airline.

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