Pilot training in India interests Cessna, Bell

Because of the growing need for pilots in India, Cessna Aircraft is considering opening centers to offer flight training there.
If it does, it would join with Cessna’s sister company, Bell Helicopter, which announced plans in India this week to establish a facility in India to train helicopter pilots.
“Cessna is considering the possibility of offering fixed-wing training in conjunction with Bell,” Textron spokeswoman Karen Quintal said in an e-mail.
The rapid growth in civil aviation in India has created a shortage of fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilots, Quintal said.
Cessna also is looking at opening a series of Cessna Pilot Centers, which would use its existing computer-based flight training system, throughout India.
A time frame for a decision has not been set.
Cessna is establishing a Citation service center near Bangalore to support its efforts to sell Citation jets, Stangarone said.
18/01/07 Molly McMillin/The Wichita Eagle, US