The Government has formulated the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 to provide a conducive ecosystem for overall growth of the Indian Aviation Sector, which involves infrastructure development of airports through Greenfield projects as well as under the UDAN scheme.
Further, there is no shortage of Pilots/Crews in the Indian Aviation Sector. However, there is a shortage of commanders on certain types of aircraft and the same is being managed by utilizing foreign pilots by issuing Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA).
The number of Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPLs) issued during last five years is as mentioned below-
| Years | Issued CPLs; |
| 2019 | 744 |
| 2020 | 578 |
| 2021 | 862 |
| 2022 | 1165 |
| 2023 | 1622 |
| 2024 (till 17.07.2024) | 739 |
| Total | 5710 |
DGCA has issued regulation, CAR-147 (Basic) – approved Basic Maintenance Training organization. The regulations are in line with international standards of ICAO i.e. EASA regulations.
The students on completing training under CAR-147 (Basic) approved institute and on passing the requisite DGCA examinations become eligible for issue of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) licence.
Currently, there are 57 AME Training Institutes have been approved by DGCA under CAR-147 (Basic). The estimated supply from AME Training Institute approved under CAR 147(Basic) is around 3500 per year, which is sufficient to cater the demand of Indian civil aviation Industry.
The other initiatives taken by the Government for skill development in civil aviation sector include the following:
- In order to augment the supply of trained pilots in the country, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has brought out a liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy whereby the concept of airport royalty (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised.
- In 2021, after a competitive bidding process, AAI awarded nine FTO slots at five airports at Belagavi (Karnataka), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and Lilabari (Assam). In June 2022, under second round of bidding, six FTO slots were awarded by AAI at five airports namely: two slots at Bhavnagar (Gujarat), and one each at Hubballi (Karnataka), Kadappa (Andhra Pradesh), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu).
- DGCA has introduced Online-On Demand Examination (OLODE) for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) candidates with effect from November 2021. This facility allows candidates to choose the date and time from the available exam slots.
- DGCA has modified its regulations to empower Flying Instructors with the right to authorise flight operations at FTOs. This was hitherto restricted to the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) or Deputy CFIs only.
The details of order placed by scheduled airlines is mentioned below
Aircraft orders placed by Major Airlines
| S. No. | Name of the operator | Type of aircraft |
No. of aircraft ordered |
Year | No. of aircraft already imported as on 30.06.2024 |
Tentative timelines for induction |
| 1 | Air India Group | A320/A321 | 210 | 2023 | 23 | 2023 to 2032 |
| A350 | 40 | 2023 | 6 | 2023 to 2032 | ||
| B787 | 20 | 2023 | – | 2025 to 2034 | ||
| B777 | 10 | 2023 | – | 2025 to 2034 | ||
| B737-8 | 190 | 2023 | 22 | 2023 to 2032 | ||
| 2 | Inter Globe Aviation Limited (Indigo) | A320 Family | 400 | 2015 | 205 | Ongoing |
| A320 Family | 300 | 2019 | – | 2025 onwards | ||
| A320 Family | 500 | 2023 | – | 2030 onwards | ||
| A350 | 30 | 2024 | ||||
| ATR 72-212A (600 Version) | 50 | 2017 | 45 | Ongoing | ||
| 3 | SNV Aviation Pvt. Ltd. (Akasa Air) | 13737-8 | 76 | 2021 | 23 | Ongoing and will be inducted until 2028 |
| B737-8 | 150 | 2024 | – | 2027 to 2032 | ||
| Total | 1976 | 324 | ||||
Source: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Note:
- Aircraft induction by the airline operators would be accompanied with redelivery/export of their existing aircraft in line with expiry of the lease periods. The aircraft induction would therefore cater for increase in airline fleet as well as replacement of existing fleet over the time.
- Airline operators would plan/optimize their fleet over the time based on commercial considerations.
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