Govt Forecasts Demand For 30k Pilots In 20 Yrs

New Delhi: India will need 30,000 pilots in the next 15-20 years as domestic airlines have more than 1,700 planes on order as they expand their network, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday.

Asserting that the ministry is working with a collective approach for the aviation industry, he also said that officials are verifying various aspects of 38 FTOs and these organisations will be rated. The minister was speaking at a function to mark the signing of an MoU for an order for 200 trainer aircraft. Indian airlines have placed orders for more than 1,700 aircraft and currently, there are over 800 planes, Naidu said. Presently, there are 6,000-7,000 working pilots and the country will need 30,000 pilots in the next 15 to 20 years.

Template model for setting up more airports

With increasing air traffic and expanding aircraft fleet, the government is planning to put in place a ‘template model’ for setting up more airports, including those dedicated for cargo and flying training organisations.