Air India and Airbus forge new pilot training hub in Gurugram to power aviation ambitions

Officials during the inauguration of a new pilot training centre in Gurugram.

In a significant move to bolster India’s aviation infrastructure, Air India and Airbus have inaugurated a state-of-the-art pilot training centre, a joint venture designed to cultivate over 5,000 new pilots over the next decade, the airline said in a press statement.

The Advanced Pilot Training Centre, housed within the Air India Aviation Training Academy, was officially opened on Tuesday by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, K Rammohan Naidu.

The 12,000-square-metre facility in Gurugram will be equipped with 10 full-flight simulators (FFSs), advanced classrooms and briefing rooms, according to reports.

This initiative arrives as Air India, acquired by the Tata Group in 2022, undertakes a massive fleet expansion, having placed orders for 570 new aircraft.

The training centre is positioned as a critical pillar in supporting this growth and reducing the industry's reliance on overseas training facilities.

"The inauguration of the training centre is a testament to our shared vision for the future of Indian aviation," said Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, in a statement highlighted. He described the project as a "strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry itself," noting that "India is a strategic powerhouse for Airbus."

Currently, the facility is operational with two full-flight simulators for the Airbus A320 family. The remaining six A320 simulators and two A350 simulators, which will be the first of their kind in India, are set to be installed progressively.

The total investment in this simulator infrastructure is planned to exceed Rs 1,000 crore, as confirmed by Minister Naidu in a post on the social media platform X.

Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, framed the new centre as a cornerstone of the airline's transformation. “This facility is a major step forward in our transformation journey and in making Air India and the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant,” Wilson stated.

He emphasised that with Airbus, the airline is "playing our part in building the aviation infrastructure that India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets."

The Gurugram academy is part of a broader consolidation of Air India's training infrastructure. The Aviation Training Academy, established this year and already training over 2,000 aviation professionals daily, is being developed as South Asia’s largest such institution.

It is projected to train more than 50,000 aviation personnel, including cabin crew, engineers and security staff in the coming years, Air India said in a press statement.

Beyond this joint venture, Air India's parent company is laying even deeper foundations for domestic pilot cultivation.

Plans are underway for South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) in Amravati, Maharashtra, which aims to graduate 180 commercial pilots annually.

A new Basic Maintenance Training Organisation is also planned near a forthcoming Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility in Bengaluru.