Air India has received approval from India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), for its Air India Flying Academy at Belora Airport in Amravati, Maharashtra, the airline said in a statement on Friday.

Air India described the approval as a major turning point in strengthening pilot training capacity in India and supporting the growth of the country’s aviation ecosystem.

The airline said the academy is the first of its kind established by an Indian airline in the country. It will operate a fleet of 31 single-engine and three twin-engine aircraft for pilot training.

According to Air India, the academy is spread across 10 acres and will have digitally enabled classrooms, student accommodation, a digital operations centre and a dedicated maintenance facility.

The airline said the academy complements its wider efforts to develop aviation talent in India, including its 600,000-square-foot training academy in Gurugram, which it described as the largest aviation training institution in South Asia.

Air India said these investments would help meet India’s growing demand for pilots and support a more self-reliant aviation ecosystem.

The statement did not say when training would begin, how many students the academy can take, what courses it will offer, or how much was invested.

Source: PR