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Aviation Today Perspectives

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 6

Aviation Today Perspectives July 25, 2026

The Next Challenge: From Networks to Operations Building networks is necessary, but networks alone do not create sustainable mobility systems. Demand,

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 5

Aviation Today Perspectives July 23, 2026

What Could Slow AAM Down? A serious AAM strategy must also acknowledge the reasons the sector may scale more slowly than

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 4

Aviation Today Perspectives July 21, 2026

The Middle East Demonstrates the Value of Government-Led Integration The Middle East offers a different but equally important lesson: AAM deployment

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility Citywide Networks Must Be Designed Around Real Travel Patterns

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 3

Aviation Today Perspectives July 19, 2026

Citywide Networks Must Be Designed Around Real Travel Patterns AAM cannot become a meaningful transportation mode through isolated airport shuttles alone.

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 2

Aviation Today Perspectives July 17, 2026

Demand Must Lead Infrastructure Decisions The most important strategic principle for AAM is simple: build where demand is painful, valuable, repeatable,

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility

Aviation Today Perspectives July 14, 2026

Advanced Air Mobility is approaching an inflection point. AAM’s next test is not flight; it is building an air transportation network

Automation Rises, But Are Indian Pilots Being Trained To Keep Pace With The Future?

Aviation Today Perspectives December 21, 2025

By Captain Shahinsha S.K (A Seasoned Pilot Trainer and Former CFI & HT-DE) When I fly from Hyderabad to Dubai in 2025,

START: India is emerging as the fastest-growing aviation market worldwide, yet it faces a significant hurdle: a shortage of trained technical personnel, including pilots, engineers, and technicians. This challenge is expected to become more acute as Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles enter the market within the next year or two, creating an additional need for pilots. The issue stems largely from inadequate planning and foresight by the authorities. Consequently, many aspiring Indian pilots are pursuing training in countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bosnia, Montenegro, and the Philippines. In fact, approximately 700 out of every 1,000 commercial pilot licenses issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are earned abroad. India’s Potential as a Global Hub for Aviation Education Considering India’s expansive geography and favorable weather for flying, the country is ideally suited to be a global hub for aviation education. In the 1980s and 1990s, students from nations such as Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and several African countries came to India for flight training. Today, the trend has reversed, with Indian students going overseas for pilot education. One key reason is the slow pace of domestic training programs and the cumbersome security clearance process for foreign students, which discourages them from enrolling in India. Competition from International Flight Schools Meanwhile, nations like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have established world-class flight schools. Students from neighboring Arab countries now mostly prefer the United States, Canada, and Europe for training, despite these regions lacking ideal weather for primary flight instruction. Domestic regulations further complicate matters. The DGCA allows a flight school to operate only if it meets minimum requirements for aircraft and paid-up capital, while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) imposes additional capital requirements. These rules do not guarantee quality education but are often sufficient to prevent many capable entrepreneurs from opening flight schools. By contrast, an Indian entrepreneur started a flight school in New Zealand with a single rented aircraft, which has since expanded to a fleet of over 20 planes and now attracts Indian students. Shortage of Trainer Aircraft The shortage of trainer aircraft is another pressing challenge. In the 1970s, Prof. David Hazen of Princeton University, invited by the Indian government to establish the first aeronautical department at IIT Kanpur, outlined a roadmap for India to achieve self-reliance in aviation training. However, progress has been slow. The DGCA developed the Swati light aircraft, manufactured by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), but a fatal accident during testing brought the program to an end. Similarly, the Hansa trainer created by the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) was rejected by most flight schools. Lessons from the Pushpak Aircraft A comparison with the Pushpak aircraft is instructive. Manufactured in the 1950s, HAL produced 160 Pushpaks, which served India reliably for over 50 years and maintained an excellent safety record. In 1968, the government gifted one Pushpak each to Singapore and Malaysia to help them establish their flight training programs. The Pushpak’s success was largely due to it being modeled closely on the proven US Aeronca Chief. NAL later developed the next-generation Hansa (NG Hansa), which was showcased at the 2020 Wings India airshow, but production has yet to start, and setting up the necessary infrastructure would still take several years even if action begins immediately. Global Trainer Aircraft Shortages and LSAs The shortage of trainer aircraft is not unique to India. Major manufacturers such as Cessna and Piper had slowed production, underestimating demand, and now struggle to meet global requirements. Other countries have tackled this problem by incorporating Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs) into flight training. Equipped with advanced navigation systems, LSAs are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and widely used in the US and EU for commercial pilot instruction. However, Indian regulations currently do not permit LSAs for commercial pilot training. Despite being equipped with only a magnetic compass, pilots trained on Pushpaks have gone on to fly advanced aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A320. Allowing LSAs in India could reduce aircraft shortages, encourage domestic manufacturing, generate employment, and attract foreign investment. Lack of Experienced Flight Instructors The lack of experienced flight instructors adds another layer of difficulty. Rapid growth in airlines such as Indigo and Air India has led many instructors to leave training schools for better pay, career progression, and recognition in commercial aviation. This high turnover leaves less-experienced instructors teaching students, unlike other professional fields where teachers usually have extensive industry experience. In countries like the US, airline pilots can provide primary flight training in their spare time, giving trainees the advantage of learning from seasoned professionals and ensuring higher safety standards. Without urgent, proactive measures, India will continue to rely on foreign nations to fulfill the increasing demand for skilled professionals in its civil aviation sector. https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-insight/knowledge/flight-training-a-challenge-in-civil-aviation-101727069965710.html

India’s Aviation Boom Threatened By Severe Pilot, Instructor And Aircraft Shortages

Aviation Today Perspectives December 13, 2025

By Captain S Sabu (Flight Instructor, Pilot at Jazeera Airways, Kuwait and Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society) India is emerging

Duopoly: The Ensuing Danger of an Aviation Nation

Aviation Today Perspectives February 22, 2025

By Captain Shahinsha S.K (A Seasoned Pilot Trainer and Former CFI & HT-DE) In the modern era, air travel is the

AVIATION TODAY brings the latest in aviation and aims to cater information to professionals and Aviation Enthusiasts about the Industry.

Aviation Today Perspectives

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 6

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 5

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 4

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 3

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility – Part 2

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility

Automation Rises, But Are Indian Pilots Being Trained To Keep Pace With The Future?

India’s Aviation Boom Threatened By Severe Pilot, Instructor And Aircraft Shortages

Duopoly: The Ensuing Danger of an Aviation Nation

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