Not enough to pilot great aviation dream in the country

Picture this: 35 flying schools in India churn out only 150 pilots every year. While with the boom in the aviation sector India would need 10,500 pilots by 2010, the supply could fall short by a huge gap.
With shortage in the number of chief flying instructors (CFIs), limited number of aircraft, and large number of students, flying schools in India are facing a critical situation. Aspiring Indian pilots do not have many options and are now moving out of India for their training.
Analysts blame this situation on the 35 flying schools, of which only 18 are functional. Says a source, “It’s not only the shortage of CFIs but also the shortage of aircraft, coupled with the large number of students that makes it impossible for them to function.”
The flying schools are facing a hard time employing CFIs. Says Lt. Colonel VK Nadar Chief Manager, Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics, “The pay of a CFI at a flying school is a lakh or two but a similar stint in the airlines can fetch them Rs3-4 lakh. We got a CFI from Canada, but he left us within six months. Then there was a CFI from Australia who left us in three months. We are also facing difficulties due to the lack of air space. We hardly get 15 flying hours due to an increase in flying activities. Hence we are shifting to the air fields in Mehsana.”
The numbers bring forth the stark reality. While there are vacancies for 5,200 pilots, only 4,100 Indian pilots and 560 expatriates are available.
Flying schools in metros have problems of their own. “In Mumbai and Delhi, where there are 35 flight movements in an hour, there is hardly any space for training. Hence flying schools are located in remote areas where the mandatory 200 flying hours can be achieved,” says a source.
“We get 44 inquiries, 22 mail inquiries and personal visits by aspiring pilots each day. As there is no flying activity in Mumbai, students have to either apply to other states or go abroad. Most of the students are going for the latter option.
There can be a way out of the trap. “If the DGCA becomes liberal in giving licences to private pilot training school which have all the required amenities, then the situation might come under control,” says Lubna Kadri, Director, Indian Aviation Academy, Mumbai.
The Academy has opened a flying school in UAE, which will start its classes from May.
While it takes two-and-a-half years for students to complete their pilot training in India, it takes just eight months or a year, elsewhere.
28/03/07 Megha Chaturvedi/Daily News & Analysis