India faces skills shortage in aviation

London: India needs to tackle a skills shortage in order to safeguard ambitious growth targets set for its rapidly expanding aviation market, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday.
“We have issues with a manpower shortage. We need a lot of pilots, a lot of engineers, a lot of technicians, a lot of ATCOs (air traffic control officers),” Patel said in an interview with Reuters, adding that a training centre was planned to help meet the challenge.
He has promised a blueprint in the coming months for the industry’s expansion to 2020, a plan which includes upgrading an airport at Nagpur to create a major hub for cargo in India.
Patel said India’s market is expected to need 400-500 business jets in the next five years and between 600 and 1,000 helicopters in the next five to seven years.
23/05/07 Reuters India