Accident could affect flying school business

Manila/Mumbai: The Philiippines air accident that killed two Indian trainee pilots when the small planes they were flying collided could affect the booming flying school business. More than a 100 Indian students are slated to acquire a foreign licence this year, up from a mere 49 in 2005. Experts say flying training accidents can be assumed to comprise 25% of all mishaps globally.
The rising number of Indians being involved in such accidents can be blamed on the high cost of training with an instructor in countries like the US, Australia and others. This compels them to fly solo, leading to higher risks in the air.
“For Indian students pursuing pilot training abroad the first factor that matters is time. The faster you finish your training, the better – and cheaper. It’s at such times that small hurried decisions lead to big disasters,” says a top airline official.
10/07/07 Times of India