Air University may take off

New Delhi: With the blistering pace of growth in civil aviation, not only is there an ever increasing demand for certified pilots and cabin crew but also for experts in several related disciplines. Taking note of the lack of a certified agency which can train aviation experts, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to work on establishing an ‘Air University’.
The university would train people in disciplines such as aviation economics and catering, aviation financial management and security, etc. The PMO has asked the ministry to come up with a detailed proposal on the university soon.
“We want to set up an expert body, comprising academicians, sector experts for setting up such a university. This panel would examine whether to allow private participation in establishing the Air University,” official sources said here.
“The Government could either look at running the Air University by itself or adopt the Public Private Partnership model. Also, the expert panel would have to decide whether such a university mandatorily needs to be attached to an existing airport for pilot training,” they added. Also, several initiatives are underway to increase the supply of certified pilots for the domestic market. The Ministry is working on another proposal where examinations for pilots are being streamlined.
05/11/07 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis