New Delhi, August 1: To retain flight training within the country, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has completed bidding procedures for 11 new Flying Training Organisation (FTO) slots across seven airports. The initiative forms part of a broader push to meet the demands of an expanding domestic aviation market, where the airport network is projected to grow by 50 additional sites alongside a sharp rise in commercial fleet sizes.
Official records indicate that technical and financial evaluations for the e-tender round launched in February 2026 concluded successfully across all designated locations. The new flight academies are slated to significantly expand domestic capacity, helping accommodate aspiring pilots who previously sought training abroad. Aviation authorities stated that domestic enrolment is already trending upward, citing recent DGCA records showing 2,309 Student Pilot Licences and 615 CPLs issued to foreign-trained cadets in a single year.
Reflecting on past framework measures designed to support flight academies, AAI documents declared, “In 2021, nine FTO slots were awarded at five airports and in 2022, six more slots were awarded at 5 airports. In addition, the AAI Board had approved allotment of land on a card rate basis for 25 years at 20 airports to encourage FTO development.”
At peak operational capacity, the 11 new slots will support up to 120 training aircraft, delivering between 700 and 750 cadet pilots and technical trainees annually as part of a wider intake of 1,500 aviation professionals. Beyond addressing the nation’s 30,000-pilot shortfall over the coming decade, the establishment of these facilities will optimize regional airport assets and offer more accessible training avenues nationwide.
