Hyderabad flying schools hit air pocket

Hyderabad: The ongoing turbulence in the aviation industry has put the future of flying schools in the city in jeopardy. With enrollments showing a 50% decline in the last few sessions, these institutes are now struggling to keep themselves afloat. Worst hit are Hyderabad’s aircraft maintenance and engineering (AME) schools, many of which have shut shop. Even airhostess training institutes that were seen mushrooming in the city until a couple of years ago now have few takers.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) records, at least two AME schools in Hyderabad, Hyderabad College of Aviation Technology and Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, have dropped out of business recently with DGCA not renewing their licences. Sources say it is the lack of funds that forced these schools to pull their shutters down. And while three flying schools, AP Aviation Academy, Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy and Flytech Aviation Academy, which also deal with the technicalities of aircraft continue to operate in the city, officials fear that they too might meet a similar fate if the sector does not bounce back to normalcy soon.
At the root of this crisis is the near complete freeze on recruitment of freshers by airline operators, say experts. The fact that biggies like Kingfisher are on the verge of closure has only aggravated the situation, they add.
01/04/12 Times of India