Aviation India: Careers

Lucknow: After spending about Rs 2 crore annually on a defunct flying club in Kanpur for more than five years, the Uttar Pradesh government has finally decided to get rid of all the rusting trainer aircraft. The government now plans to hand over the airport to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
The Mayawati government will soon float global tenders for the sale of these five Zenith-make two-seater trainer aircraft. The decision has been taken on the recommendations of a government constituted committee headed by senior bureaucrat Rohit Nandan.
The club was set up by a private company, Cooperative Hind Flying Club, in the early sixties. Apart from training pilots, the club was also using their aircraft for flying VIPs in the state. In 1980 the club was liquidated, which caused a problem for the state government, as it did not have any other arrangement for flying the VIPs.
The government then set up the Directorate of Civil Aviation. “Earlier, the main purpose of the club was to continue with flying VIPs. Later, it was decided to provide training as well,” confirmed a senior government official. Since the government already had its own three flying clubs at Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad, a committee was set up to discuss the feasibility of running another club. In 2001 the committe recommended continuing with the Kanpur Flying Club and closing down the rest. The district magistrate, Kanpur, was made its director.
“But the club could never function properly in want of a chief flying instructor. We advertised a few times but did not get good response,” said an official from the Civil Aviation Directorate.
The Kanpur Flying Club had a staff of about 50 people and the government was spending about a crore annually on their salaries alone, besides spending the same amount on the maintenance of the whole paraphernalia.
07/09/08 Alka Pande/Lucknow Newsline

New Delhi: The Indian aviation sector may have hit an air pocket because of an industry slowdown and rising airfares, but a leading travel and tourism training institute says this is temporary - the sector will boom, and jobs abound.
The Kuoni Academy of Travel, the Mumbai-based training institute that is part of the Kuoni Travel Group, has tied up with the Britain-based Cabin Crew Direct and the Dubai-based International Airline and Business Academy (IABA) to train cabin crew aspirants.
It is offering a four-month diploma course comprising 18 modules designed in association with leading international airlines to meet training standards across the world.
"We have tried to ensure that our courses meet the highest standards of quality. The tie-up with Cabin Crew Direct and IABA underlines our commitment to provide Indian students with world class content which can help them with their careers," Kuoni Academy principal Smeeta Gulvady said.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its latest estimates, reckons India will be the driving force behind the world's civil aviation business that is globally expected to grow from $5.1 billion to $5.6 billion this year.
The current market size of the international air traffic in India is nearly $5 billion (Rs.21,000). Industry insiders forecast that it is expected to grow phenomenally, creating a huge need for skilled manpower.
"There is such a huge demand for cabin jobs and a vast number of such jobs are available - not necessarily in India at the moment due to temporary problems," John Ellis, chief executive officer of Cabin Crew Direct, told IANS in an email interview.
Ellis said Indians perform better as cabin crew than many nationalities across the globe because they are highly educated.
"They adapt well to training, they are very presentable, and India is the nation that speaks English best though it is not the country's first language," Ellis said.
05/09/08 IANS/Economic Times

In 1979, Susan Horstman became the first female pilot hired by Pan American World Airlines. Today, she is keeping one of Salt Lake City's busiest flight schools in the air. Horstman, 56, is Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Aviation, a privately owned flight school that specializes in training students who want any rating from sport pilot to airline transport pilot certification. The flight school operates facilities in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo, and controls a fleet of about 17 single- and multi-engine planes. “People are always going to fly,” Horstman said. She was referring to the recent national flap over exorbitant fuel prices, rising costs for air travel and industry job cut backs. According to published studies: “. . . domestic airfares are up this summer 12 percent to 15 percent and on some routes more than 200 percent.” Horstman said a flight student might spend as much $50,000 securing the accreditation to pursue an airline pilot position. New pilots typically earn a salary of only about $22,000, during their first year of probationary flying. Pay does, however, increase during a pilot's second year. Adding to the uncertainty is a highly publicized cloud of bankruptcy currently hanging over some national and regional airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government agency that regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. Cornerstone Aviation is a FAA approved Part 141-flight-school, the highest rating given by the government agency. Horstman, however, isn't just circling in a holding pattern waiting for domestic airlines to heal from their current ills. She is reaching out to foreign markets to recruit students and expand her business. To that end, Horstman has begun enrolling students from India and China who will train for pilots' licenses in the Salt Lake City area. She said Cornerstone's international division offers a monthlong, pre-enrollment course to assure that the students can speak English well enough to complete their flying lessons. Even though the availability of airline jobs can serve as a gauge for the health of the industry, for some people, the call to fly is not solely determined by a push to make money.
05/09/08 Von Jones/Salt Lake Tribune, United States

Birla Institute of Technology,Mesra has signed an MOU with the Jamshedpur Cooperative Flying Club (JCFC) to establish a joint venture flying training institute that will provide the flying training required for a new three year B.Sc. (Aeronautical Sciences) degree course proposed to be offered at BIT. The MOU, which was signed by Shri Dulal Bhuiyan, Minister, Govt. of Jharkhand, on behalf of JCFC and Dr P. K. Barhai, Vice-Chancellor, BIT, Mesra is an initial step towards BIT introducing the new undergraduate degree course. The proposed new course will integrate a broad based education with the ground instruction and flying training prescribed by DGCA for the Commercial Pilots License (CPL), which is the basic license required by students aspiring to become commercial pilots.
In addition to the syllabus prescribed by DGCA for different licenses the curriculum for the proposed new course will include advanced training in the basic sciences and relevant engineering disciplines that will help students to understand how various factors affect the aircraft and its flight. Subjects like computer science, IT, environmental sciences, psychology, economics and management will be included in the curriculum with a view to develop a wide perspective and broad outlook that is required for the potential airline transport pilot to handle complex situations that he may be required to face on his own. The curriculum will give due attention to developing communication skills and honing students’ inter-personal skills and leadership qualities. A broad based education will also allow the pilots trained under BIT’s programme to take up management positions in the Aviation sector. Many leading universities in the developed countries offer such programmes but it will be the first of its kind in India.
The MOU with JCFC provides for the theoretical and laboratory classes to be conducted by BIT, Mesra and the flying training to be provided by the new joint venture flying training institute. The services of a British consultancy company are likely to be retained for advise on selection of aircraft, simulators and other equipment, recruitment of Flight Instructors, maintenance practices, logistics planning, ground operations, quality control and safety requirements.
The intake of students is proposed to be limited to 40 per year with 50% quota for students from Jharkhand and usual reservations for SC and ST categories. Additionally, students of SC /ST and BPL categories sponsored by Govt. of Jharkhand will also be admitted. Students will have two early exit options: the first after completing 2 semesters’ work including all flying training required for the Private Pilots License (PPL) and another after completing 4 semesters’ work including all flying training required for the CPL. Students who leave under the early exit options will be awarded appropriate diplomas instead of the B.Sc. degree, but they will be permitted to return within a stipulated period to complete the degree requirements.
04/09/08 Birla Institute of Technology

Provincial police have identified three men injured in a small plane crash Monday in central Ontario.
The men were in a single-engine Cessna that crashed into a farmer's field near Shelburne, northwest of Orangeville.
Police say the pilot, 20-year-old Vrushnek Patel, and a passenger, 22-year-old Matthew Jacob, remain at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto in serious condition.
The second passenger, 20-year-old Webster George, was treated and released from hospital.
Police have said two of the three men are from India.
The Cessna, which is owned by the Brampton Flying Club, took off from the Brampton airport Sunday and crashed a few hours later.
02/09/08 The Canadian Press/Toronto Star, Canada

DGCA has announced the schedule for Flight Dispatchers’ (FDEG) Examination, September, 2008 Session.
The examination will be conducted at New Delhi and Mumbai Centers only. The candidates appearing at Mumbai Centre, should contact the Office of Director of Airworthiness, Mumbai at
Telephone No 022 - 26157187 / 26157331 for Venue of Examination.The venue for FDEG Examination at Delhi Centre will be CEO, O/o DGCA, East Block – 3, R.K. Puram, New Delhi.
The list of candidates admitted for FDEG Examination shall be put on DGCA website by 05.09. 2008 and the candidates are advised to download the relevant page of their Roll Number as proof for admission into the Examination Hall. The candidates are also advised to display their Photo Identity Cards through out their examination.
26/08/08 DGCA

Computer numbers for flight crew examinations are allotted and the list is published here in the DGCA website.
Check the correctness of the data in the notification against your name including spellings. In case of any discrepancy, write to CEO immediately for necessary correction.
The examination fee has been revised @ Rs. 500/- per Paper Candidates are advised to download this page for record purposes.
The list of rejected candidates can be accessed here.
26/08/08 DGCA

To offer respite to students appearing for commercial pilot license (CPL), the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) has drafted a circular which relaxes the number of flying hours.
On August 6, 2008, after a meeting with the flying training institutes in India, DGCA proposed that the mandatory 50 hours flying experience prior to appearing for ground examination should be reduced to 25 hours. According to sources in DGCA, this was done basically to help the flying schools in the country.
“Many students go abroad to finish the 50 hour training and then return to give their ground training papers. After that they once again leave to complete the required 150 hours of flying,” said a DGCA official.
“Due to this, Indian flying institutes are losing out on students. So if they only need 25 hours of experience, then they will prefer to enroll in institutes in India rather than go abroad.”
A student takes at least two months to complete 25 hours of flying. However, few students and training institutes believe that the proposed draft will hardly change the situation.
“It is best that the DGCA does away with the required 25 hours also,” said Asha Mohan (name changed), a pilot for a private airline.
Mohan said it was preferable to first appear for the paper as it gave the student an indication whether he or she was capable of becoming a pilot. “... To complete 25 hours of flying you spend around Rs3 lakh. Imagine the amount of money that will go down the drain if you realise that you aren’t fit for the job.”
01/09/08 Navita Singh/Daily News & Analysis

Chennai: A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the future of the trainee pilots of Madras Flying Club (MFC), now in doldrums because of the dearth of instructors.
Two hundred students, no flying lessons, one chief flying instructor (CFI) who is not eligible to train freshers, three aircraft and just one commercial pilot licence holder (CPL) in the last five years: This is the status of the 78-year-old flying club, the oldest in the country.
The club on Sunday informed students that they are free to discontinue and go elsewhere if they wanted to finish their flying lessons quicker. "Those who want to finish their requirement for CPL in a speedier manner elsewhere should withdraw their membership and settle their accounts," says a notice put up on Sunday by the club at its premises. "This looks as if the club does not want us to continue here. Instead of solving the problem they are chasing us out," a student said.
According to students, even the November 2006 batch had not completed 10 hours of flying required to write the director general of civil aviation's (DGCA) examination to obtain Private Pilot License (PPL). The CFI is over 65 years old and is not eligible to teach flying lessons for students with no flying experience.
01/09/08 Times of India

Tumbling air traffic and aircraft utilisation have reduced demand for pilots, especially those holding commercial pilot licences (CPL), grounding many a dream.
Twenty-nine-year-old Pan-kaj Desai (name changed) was banking on the aviation boom to give wing to his dreams of becoming a pilot. He spent nearly Rs 20 lakh and has a letter of intent (to hire) from budget carrier SpiceJet.
Desai is still hunting for a job. He completed pilot training from The Professional Flight Centre based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, in December last year, but his lack of experience is now coming in the way of securing a job with an airline.
Demand was outstripping supply last year. "Every CPL holder coming out of academies was being absorbed by the industry," said an industry insider. Desai is not alone. At least 100 other cadets are undergoing SpiceJet's pilot training with no hope of landing a job.
Full-service carrier Kingfisher Airlines' pilot programme has also left an equal number in the lurch as passengers declined.
"As the (plane) utilisation falls, there is a corresponding dip in the demand for pilots," he reasoned, but added that SpiceJet has not laid off any pilot. A Kingfisher spokesperson dittoed.
"We believe this is a short-term phenomenon. That is why we are retaining them," Dhillon said.
01/09/08 Praveena Sharma/DNA MONEY/Sify

Bahrain Air is now looking for A 320/A 319 Captains, A 320/A 319 Co-pilots, Flight Attendants (Females only), Flight Dispatchers, Assistant Legal Advisor & Web Designer.

Pilots candidates should've the following qualifications:

• ICAO / JAR / FA license holder.
• Current medical certificate.
• A320 rated and current.

For Captains and First Officers Please apply on line to this email pilotrecruitment@bahrainair.net by providing the following documents

• Copy of your ATPL/CPL License
• Copy of Current medical Certificate
• Copy of A320 rating certificate
• Copy of last three pages of your log book
• Copy of your valid passport
• Your updated CV with recent photograph
  

Flight Attendants (Female):

• 20 to 27 years of age
• Friendly with warm personality
• Minimum of three years experience in the service industry
• 56 CM height or more
• Proportionate weight to your height
• Enjoy working in a busy and demanding environment.

Send your CV including the following documents to cabincrewrecruitment@bahrainair.net

• Copy of your valid passport
• Copy of current medical certificate
• Copy of certificates related to the Airlines industry (if any)
• Your updated CV with recent photograph

Assistant Legal Advisor:
Education and Training

• Post Graduate degree in Law from an internationally recognized university.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years experience in legal practice.
• Excellent in English and Arabic both written and spoken.

To apply send your CV to this email careers@bahrainair.net

Web Designer:
Qualifications & Experience

• Associate or Bachelor Degree in Fine Art or Graphic Design and/or equivalent experience and a strong background in graphic design..
• Minimum 3 years experience in the field of Web/Graphic design
• Fluent in Photoshop and Illustrator and Proficient in Flash animation
• Solid understanding of HTML, Dreamweaver, browsers capabilities and design constraints on the Web and typography on web applications
• An understanding of corporate identity, branding, layout, color theory, current trends and typography in both print and digital media.
• Possess a portfolio of quality Web page designs and developments.
• Knowledge of SEO (Search engine optimization) techniques & online marketing tools is a plus
• knowledge of ActiveX HTML JavaScript VBScript ASP, ASP.net CGI WAP XHTML XML MySQL SQL JavaScript & PHP libraries and Content Management Systems a big plus.
• Creative, detail oriented and self-motivated with the ability to assimilate and simplify complicated issues
• Ability to prioritize and work under the pressure of multiple demands while meeting deadlines

To apply send your CV to this email careers@bahrainair.net

For more details, please visit this page at the airlines' website
30/08/08 Bahrain Air

New Delhi: The parents of Akash Anantha, the 24-year-old Indian who died in a mid-air crash last week, had to go into debt so that he could fulfil his dream and come to Melbourne to learn how to fly.
Anantha Padmanabha and his wife, Asha, who live in Bangalore, in southern India, are stunned and bewildered at the death of their only son.
When Akash first asked his father if he could go to Melbourne where his cousin Dilip lives, Mr Padmanabha had said no. They could not afford it. Then he relented, borrowing US$13,000. Akash promised to repay him.
"My boy wanted to achieve something with his life. And this is what he achieved," said Mr Padmanabha. "I gave him the chance to go. I wish I hadn't. One day he'd asked me for an i-Pod and I said no. I wish I had said no to this too. He was a nice, affectionate boy. I had a lovely time with him."
Mr Padmanabha said he was "proud" of Akash for crashing his plane away from nearby Cheltenham East Primary School, thereby saving many lives. "He is a hero for me," he said.
These comments were echoed by the pilot of the other light plane, Steven Pegoraro, who, along with his trainee co-pilot, managed to land his damaged craft. "Akash was really the hero," he told Channel Nine. "Whatever control he had, he somehow managed to prevent it from being so much worse." A middle-class family living on the small salary Mr Padmanabha earns as a marketing vice-president of a local firm, the couple has never travelled outside India and is scrambling to get to Australia, including getting a passport for Asha, to bring their son's body home.
Mr Padmanabha said that when Akash spoke to him a few days before his death, he had sounded so confident that he could only surmise that he had not been instructed properly.
The president of the club, Stuart Rushton, did not want to respond to the comments about the school. But he said everyone at the club was extremely upset. The club would pay to have Akash's body repatriated. "The club's dealings with the family have been very sympathetic."
31/08/08 Amrit Dhillon/Patrick Smithers/WA today, Australia

Bangalore: Three days after 24-year-old Bangalore-based trainee pilot Akash Anantha died in a mid-air crash in Melbourne, Australia, his parents blamed the Royal Victoria Aero Club for the accident.
Speaking to DNA, Akash’s father Anantha Padmanabha said it was solely the mistake of the air traffic control room of the Melbourne club, which did not seem to have given the right instructions to Akash. “We believe it was not Akash’s mistake, he was so confident of flying solo. It is surprising that another aircraft collided with Akash’s. We have consulted many experts and their opinion is that it was the fault of the club,” he said.
Anantha, however, denied suing the club. “We are awaiting a proper report about the incident. We do not have any communication with the Australian government. We are getting all the news from Dilip, Akash’s cousin working in Melbourne.”
While Dilip is still to see Akash’s body, the parents sent his DNA reports on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the courier is still in Mumbai. “Dilip has informed us the body will reach Bangalore only after three weeks,” Anantha said.
30/08/08 Soumya Menon and Sudipa Chakraborty/Daily News & Analysis

Akash Ananth was just one of a growing stream of overseas students coming to Melbourne to learn to fly.
The 24-year-old's parents in India were last night mourning his death after the light plane he was flying crashed into the backyard of a Cheltenham unit, metres from a primary school.
Plane crashes in flames
A student's first solo flight has ended in tragedy following a crash in Melbourne's south-east.
Mr Ananth was taking his first solo flight after hours of training with an instructor by his side.
Amrith Sachdev, a fellow student pilot at Moorabbin, posted a message to his friend on social networking site Facebook. "Plane crashes can happen any time," he wrote. "Even good pilots have to die in a plane crash. may u rest in peace Akash."
Mr Ananth was flying two nautical miles from Moorabbin Airport about 12.35pm when the wing of his Cessna 150 was clipped by another plane.
Cheltenham resident Jim Hilcke saw it happen. He said a low-flying plane that seemed noisier than usual diverted his attention. He noticed another plane in front of it and thought they were going to come pretty close.
Then a third plane appeared alongside them, clipping the wing and rudder of one and causing it to fall from the sky. "It spiralled out of control to the ground, where there was an enormous bang. It was horrifying to watch. A few seconds later a big plume of smoke went up," Mr Hilcke said.
The plane crashed into a carport in Silver Street about 20 metres from Cheltenham East Primary School. Mr Ananth is believed to have died instantly.
Ambulance Victoria group manager Peter Swan said it was remarkable that no one else was hurt. "It's a high residential area and there is a school opposite the address, so it's very fortunate that no other parties have been affected by this," he said.
Victoria Police Inspector Tom Shawyer said it was also fortunate that the other plane, a Piper Warrior - which was piloted by a trainee accompanied by an instructor - was able to "limp" back to Moorabbin Airport.
"Luck plays an extremely important part in these circumstances. It could have been significantly greater loss of life or injury than there was, even though one person has died," he said. The pilot and instructor in the Piper Warrior were taken to separate rooms at the Royal Victorian Aero Club at the airport and asked to write down their version of events.
27/08/08 Andrea Petrie and Clay Lucas/The Age, Australia

Melbourne: A trainee pilot on his first solo flight died when his plane clipped another aircraft and crashed, barely missing several homes and a school in Melbourne today.
The aviation student from India crashed his Cessna 150 into a garage attached to several single storey units about 20 metres from Cheltenham East Primary School in Melbourne's southeast.
Ambulance Victoria group manager Peter Swan said the scene in Lorna Street was chaotic when paramedics arrived but it was lucky no school students or residents were killed.
"It's a residential area and main through road for a local school opposite the residents so despite the tragic outcome of one person deceased, we're very lucky no other person was affected,'' he told reporters.
The male pilot in the other plane, a Piper Warrior, was also an Indian trainee but was accompanied by another qualified pilot.
They were uninjured and landed the plane safely at nearby Moorabbin Airport from where both aircraft took off.
"The male pilot was on his own and we believe under some form of instruction,'' Police Inspector Tom Shawyer told reporters at the scene.
"The other plane involved was occupied by two males who we believe were also under some form of instruction.''
A group of Indian trainee pilots visited the scene soon after and confirmed the dead man had left Moorabbin Airport this afternoon, but they did not know him personally.
"He was on his first solo flight and came quite close to a collision and was forced to do a spiral dive,'' trainee pilot Ben Zachariah said.
Manager at nearby Moorabbin Airport Phil McConnell said the plane that crashed was a Cessna 150 while the one it clipped moments earlier was a Piper Warrior.
27/08/08 Daily Telegraph, Australia

Mumbai: The Vasundhara Aviation Academy (VAA), perhaps the first academy of its kind in Madhya Pradesh, has evolved an indigenous training module to cater to all possible aspects of services in the airline, Travel & Tourism industry. The academy excels in producing air and tourism personnel.
"After our success in Bhopal, we plan to open up our centers in Jabalpur & Khajuraho" says Janardan Singhal – Head of the academy.
He also adds that the academy, which opened with just few students, is now churning trained youngsters each year. "We are different in every way from the numerous similar schools that have sprung up. For one, we are the pioneers in this field, having started out first. Also, we do not believe in bringing in celebrities as gimmicks to attract students.
The institute provides trained resources to the entire service industry, including aviation, hotels, air catering organisations and ground services.
The institute boasts of a renowned faculty of professionals from the aviation, hotel and tourism industry. Apart from their core faculty, they also have professionals working in various airlines and hotels as visiting faculty. They include professionals from airlines and the hotel industry.
During last years, it has managed 100 per cent placement of its students across national flight carriers such as Jet Airways, Air India & also in leading hotels.
26/08/08 Equity Bulls

Mumbai: Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways has decided to run the airline completely on Indian talent.
Jet has already started working on a model to gradually replace all its foreign hands with local talents over the next three years. If Jet implements the desi model, it will have to find out replacements for some of its top-level executives and CEO. Jet’s day-to-day operation is run by Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO of the company.
Jet Airways chief commercial officer Sudheer Raghavan told ET, “We will gradually make Jet Airways a fully Indian-run airline. The process has already started.” Mr Goyal will be involved in recruiting top-level executives with Indian origin from foreign airlines.
Jet is estimated to require about 1,500 cabin crew for its international operations. The plan to run the airline by Indians will help Jet to save time and energy as the appointment of foreign hands is a long-drawn process.
26/08/08 Mithun Roy/Economic Times

New Delhi: Avalon Academy, the aviation & hospitality training wing of the global learning solutions giant, Aptech Limited launched a centre in NOIDA.
The centre was inaugurated by Mr. Raghunath Jha, Honorable Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt. of India. Avalon was represented by Ms. Preeti Malik, Vice- President & Head Avalon Academy, Mr. Dinesh Chugh, Regional Head (North & East), Mr. Ritesh Singh, Marketing Head (North), Ms. Divyjyoti Mediratta, Area Sales Head, Delhi & Mr. Abhishek Gupta & Mrs. Seema Singhal , Centre Heads, Avalon - NOIDA.
Avalon specializes in providing high quality training to aspirants interested in making a career in Aviation, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism industry, as well as preparing students for the corporate world.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Preeti Malik - Head, Avalon Academy said - 'Avalon's training enhances human asset quality and productivity, and inculcates business and customer orientation, specifically attuned to the requirements of any modern industry. This is all a part and parcel of Avalon's professional approach to training, so as to ensure its students receive the best grounding for a high-flying career. '
Emphasizing on the quality infrastructure and international curriculum of Avalon, Ms. Malik said "Our courses have been developed with the help of industry professionals and are endorsed by domestic and international experts. The training centres are fully equipped to provide the student a real-life exposure to job situations."
Avalon Academy has been providing quality aviation & hospitality training in the country. Today it is present in most of the metros & mini metros, offering world-class infrastructure facilities and training to the students.
The NOIDA centre would offer the entire range of Avalon's courses which include training programs for Cabin Crew, Ground Staff, Airport Management, BBA & MBA in Aviation & a Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management .
Avalon Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aptech Ltd., which came into existence about 2 years ago to provide high quality training to aspirants in the aviation/ hospitality industry. The institute currently offers a plethora of professional courses that focus on hard core aviation, hospitality and related skills required in this sector.
Avalon Academy's recent launch of the 'Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management' in affiliation with the Scotland's Colleges International, a reputed consortium of Colleges in the UK , marks its foray into the hospitality training.
25/08/08 PRESS RELEASE/Avalon Aviation Academy

New Delhi: AHA Air Hostess Academy (AHA) plans to spread its operations on a national and international level. The academy, which trains professionals for the travel and hospitality industries, is considering the UAE, UK, and Australia to open its international centres. Thr academy will also spread its reach within the country with 20 new centres on a pan India basis.
The institution plans to set up the international training centres in Dubai, London, Sydney and Columbia, respectively. “The travel and hospitality industry is growing and we want to grow with it,” says Sapna Gupta, Founder and Director, AHA. “Now that our students are finding a place in various foreign airlines and international hotel chains, we feel it is the right time to take the AHA name abroad,” continues Gupta.
Gupta comments that AHA has been training professionals for the travel and hospitality industries for the last ten years. “We are an institute of choice, not only for students, but also recruiters. This stems from the fact that we have a faculty of professionals from Aviation and Hotel and Tourism industry make sure that our curriculum and our modes of delivery are industry relevant,” says Gupta.
23/08/08 Japna Sodhi/HospitalityBizIndia

DGCA has announced that Pilot General Examination July 2008-Regular Session will be conducted between August 22, 2008 & August 29, 2008. Here is the list of eligible Candidates for ATPLG ORAL EXAMINATION - July 2008.
The list of eligible Candidates for second oral examination of ATPLG/ATPCG - July 2008 is here. Dates are 26 & 29 Aug, 2008.

First oral examination of ATPLG/ATPCG- July 2008 (Jul2008-1st Special Session) is on Aug 26.
The lists are here and here.

Oral Examination of successful candidates who have appeared in written
examination of Air Navigation & Radio Aids & Instruments Subjects of Airline
Transport Pilots General License (ATPLG / ATPLCG) Examination, July, 2008
Session has been scheduled as given here. Dates are between 22 August and 29 August.
18/08/08 DGCA