Centre sees 1 lakh new jobs in aviation sector
Hopeful of 40% jump new jobs by 2024 as AAI’s Rs25k-cr capex to upgrade airports to global standards in next 5 years
image for illustrative purpose
- Growing fleet size of Indian carriers
- Airlines need 10,000 pilots more in next 5 yrs
- Nearly half of the jobs created will be for blue-collar workers
- India has 35 Flying Training Organisations (FTOs)
New Delhi: Even as the civil aviation sector is incurring losses in the range of Rs15,000 crore to Rs17,000 crore, according to the credit ratings agency ICRA, and the domestic passenger traffic is yet to reach the pre-Covid figure, the government is convinced that an upturn is on the horizon. This will result in a rise of direct jobs from 250,000 at present to 350,000 in 2024, official sources told Bizz Buzz.
The current direct employment in the aviation and aeronautical manufacturing sector is around 250,000 employees. This includes pilots, cabin crew, engineer, technicians, airport staff, ground handling, cargo, retail, security, administrative and sales staff, etc. This is expected to increase to around 350,000 by 2024. The ratio of indirect jobs to direct jobs in aviation is around 4.8. Even if a lower multiplier of 4.5 is taken, the total number of direct and indirect jobs created by aviation and aero manufacturing by 2024 will be around two million, sources said.
Nearly half of the jobs created will be for blue-collar workers like loaders, cleaners, drivers, and helpers. To cater to the expected traffic growth, the fleet size of Indian carriers is expected to grow substantially which would require an additional requirement of around 10,000 pilots in the next five year. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon a capital expenditure plan of more than Rs 25,000 crore in next five years for the development, upgrade, and modernization of various airports to meet the international standards in the country.
To meet the requirement of human capital in the civil aviation sector, there are currently 35 flying training organisations (FTOs) which are approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). While the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA) at Amethi is under the central government, eight FTOs are under State governments and 26 are owned by the private sector.
The DGCA follows a five-phase certification process for setting up of a FTO to check all the laid-down rules and regulations. The Directorate of Flying Training at the DGCA conducts scheduled annual inspections and unscheduled spot checks at FTOs.
