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START: When I fly from Hyderabad to Dubai in 2025, the calendar shows the same year. Yet symbolically, I am traveling nearly 20 years forward in time from a city still evolving to one already living in the future. The same contrast exists in aviation training. An Indian cadet training under DGCA rules in 2025 is learning today’s standards. An Indian cadet training under EASA regulations in Europe is being shaped by standards India may take another decade to adopt. In effect, that cadet is training in 2035, while many of his peers remain in 2025. The Cockpit Paradox Aviation has transformed dramatically in just over 100 years: The mechanical cockpit demanded total human efficiency. The glass cockpit shared efficiency with machines. The future cockpit runs on automation, AI, and algorithms. And yet, when machines fail, it is the human brain that must take over. Here lies the paradox: as automation rises, the demand for human efficiency must not disappear; it must become sharper, deeper, and more refined. The Indian Risk India is the fastest-growing aviation market in the world. Fleets are expanding, passenger numbers are doubling, and thousands of pilots are urgently needed. But the critical question remains: will these pilots be masters of the cockpit, or merely monitors of automation? Under the DGCA system, cadets are largely trained within a test-heavy, rote-learning framework. Under EASA, cadets are trained for competence, resilience, decision-making, and adaptability. This gap is not academic. It directly affects safety, confidence, and international credibility. Global Lessons Aviation history has repeatedly warned us about the dangers of overreliance on automation: Air France 447: pilots struggled to manage manual flight after autopilot disengaged. Asiana 214: excessive dependence on systems led to fatal misjudgments. Europe reformed its training philosophy after these lessons. India cannot afford to wait for its own wake-up call. A Call for Urgency This is not about Europe versus India. It is about the future versus the present. Every Indian cadet who trains under EASA today returns as a messenger from the future, carrying skills and mindsets India has yet to fully embrace. “Automation will continue to rise. Human efficiency must evolve, not vanish.” If India wants its pilots to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world, DGCA must reform now, not tomorrow. Not in 10 years. But now. Are we ready?

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

Aviation Today Opinion Desk 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 Opinion Desk 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 Opinion Desk 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

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