address the shortage of pilots in India’s ever-growing aviation sector and to eliminate the country’s dependence on foreign flying schools, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken a major and important step. AAI has completed the tender process for 11 new flying schools with the aim of rapidly strengthening the pilot training capacity in the country. Under this latest e-tender round launched by AAI in February 2026, 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) will be set up at its seven major airports, for which the technical and financial bids have been successfully completed within the stipulated timeframe.
The increase in the number of flying schools will bring relief to tired pilots, as demand is growing.
Currently, due to excessive working hours and flights, the country’s commercial pilots are facing severe fatigue. To address this, the government has also made new rules regarding reducing working hours, although airline companies have been opposing it. In such a situation, the opening of these 11 new flying schools will be of great help in overcoming the huge shortage of trained pilots. According to the estimates of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the country will need around 30,000 to 31,800 additional pilots in the next 10 years, because in the next 5 years, airlines are going to add 500 new aircraft to their fleet and 50 new airports are also going to be built in the country.
1500 aviation professionals will be prepared every year, foreign expenditure will be curbed.
Once this new AAI plan is fully implemented, these 11 new FTOs will initially accommodate 60 to 70 training aircraft, which, upon reaching full capacity, will create a fleet of 110 to 120 aircraft. In addition, state-of-the-art simulators and training equipment will be available. Initially, approximately 400 to 500 aviation professionals (including cadet pilots and technical trainees) will receive training each year, expanding to 1,500 professionals annually. This will not only reduce our heavy dependence on foreign pilot training, but will also keep the country’s funds in the country and ensure optimal utilization of regional airports.
There has been a sharp increase in the figures of issuing commercial pilot licenses.
With the expansion of the aviation sector in India, the issuance of pilot licenses has also seen a steady increase. According to statistics, while only 640 commercial pilot licenses were issued in the country in 2018, this number is projected to increase to 1,628 in 2024. Furthermore, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has recently issued a large number of commercial and student pilot licenses to cadets training abroad. These recent steps by the AAI will position India as a strong global aviation hub in the future.