Latest Aviation News | Updated Global Aviation News

Skip to content

Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube

About Us
Contact Us
Advertisement

About Us
Contact Us
Advertisement

Aviation Newsletter

WhatsApp Channel

Search

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Search

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

News

Civil Aviation

Pilot Training

Flight School Analysis

Aviation Jobs

Training

Services

About Us

Contact Us

Search

Latest News

Columbia County Plane Crash Kills Six After Weather Diversion, Follows Hudson River Tragedy, At approximately 12:15 p.m., the aircraft crashed in an agricultural field near Two Town Road in Copake, roughly 10 miles south of its intended destination | Aviation Today

Accidents

Columbia County Plane Crash Kills Six After Weather Diversion, Follows Hudson River Tragedy

April 14, 2025

IndiGo Briefly Becomes World’s Most Valuable Airline After Surging Past Delta Air Lines, IndiGo's valuation peaked at $23.45 billion in intraday trading on April 9 temporarily overtaking Delta Air Lines. By the market close it stood at $23.1 billion | Aviation Today

Indian Airlines

IndiGo Briefly Becomes World’s Most Valuable Airline After Surging Past Delta Air Lines

April 14, 2025

India Launches First Black Box Lab for Air Crash Investigations; Inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister, Built at a cost of ₹9 crore with HAL's support, the lab can decode black box data and meets global standards | Aviation Today

Aircraft Crashes

India Launches First Black Box Lab for Air Crash Investigations; Inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister

April 12, 2025

Six Killed Including Three Children in Hudson Helicopter Crash, NYC’s Third in 20 Years, The pilot radioed a fuel warning before the helicopter made a loud noise, lost a rotor, and crashed into the Hudson, with debris scattering on impact | Aviation Today

Helicopter Crash

Six Killed Including Three Children in Hudson Helicopter Crash, NYC’s Third in 20 Years

April 11, 2025

Emirates Crosses 90 Million Passenger Milestone on India-Dubai Route Since 1985, In 2024 alone, 12 million of Dubai International Airport's 92.3 million passengers traveled between India and Dubai, highlighting the popularity | Aviation Today

Airlines

Emirates Crosses 90 Million Passenger Milestone on India-Dubai Route Since 1985

April 10, 2025

28-Year-Old Air India Express Pilot Dies Shortly After Landing, Sparking Health Concerns, Captain Armaan, 28, who had recently tied the knot, showed distress after landing, vomited in the cockpit, and collapsed at the dispatch office at IGI Airport | Aviation Today

Air India

Air India Express Pilot Dies Shortly After Landing, Sparking Health Concerns

April 10, 2025

Two Killed in Light Aircraft Crash at Derbyshire, AAIB Launches Investigation. Darley Moor racetrack, which typically hosts motorcycle racing events between March and October, was closed to the public in the aftermath of the crash | Aviation Today

Aircraft Crashes

Two Killed in Light Aircraft Crash at Derbyshire, AAIB Launches Investigation

April 9, 2025

Nearly 50% Posts Vacant at DGCA, BCAS and AAI Also Face Acute Staff Shortage: Govt Data. To address the staffing crunch, DGCA has hired 107 contractual staff—including consultants, Young Professionals, & FOIs—while BCAS onboarded 14 consultants | Aviation Today

Airports Authority of India

Nearly 50% Posts Vacant at DGCA, BCAS and AAI Also Face Acute Staff Shortage: Indian Govt

April 9, 2025

IndiGo Flight With 225 Passengers Makes Emergency Landing in Mumbai After Bomb Threat A full emergency was declared at 8:43 p.m. after a bomb threat note was found in the aircraft’s lavatory, triggering aviation security protocols | Aviation Today

Incidents

IndiGo Flight With 225 Passengers Makes Emergency Landing in Mumbai After Bomb Threat

April 8, 2025

Flight Instructor and Student Killed in Cessna 172 Crash Near Chilliwack During Routine Training. The aircraft involved was a Cessna 172S model used for training purposes by Chinook Helicopters, a flight school based in Abbotsford. Investigation is underway | Aviation Today

Aircraft Crashes

Flight Instructor and Student Killed in Cessna 172 Crash Near Chilliwack During Flight Training

April 8, 2025

Three Dead in Japan Medical Helicopter Crash, Kills Patient, Doctor, and Caretaker. A medical transport helicopter en route to a Fukuoka hospital tragically crashed into the sea off southwestern Japan. Only 3 of the 6 people on board survived | Aviation Today

Helicopter Crash

Three Dead in Japan Medical Helicopter Crash, Kills Patient, Doctor, and Caretaker

April 7, 2025

IndiGo Crew Accused of Stealing Child’s Gold Necklace Mid-Flight; Police Case Filed During the flight, both daughters began quarreling and crying. An IndiGo crew member took the elder one for a walk. Later, her gold necklace was found missing | Aviation Today

Incidents

IndiGo Crew Accused of Stealing Child’s Gold Necklace Mid-Flight; Police Case Filed

April 7, 2025

« Previous Next »

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Email

Recent News

TAIC Identifies Q300 Flight-System And Crew Monitoring Issues In 2023 Incident

TAIC Identifies Q300 Flight-System And Crew Monitoring Issues In 2023 Incident

October 1, 2026

Flydubai Suspends Israel Flights Following Serious FZ1073 Cockpit Incident

Flydubai Suspends Israel Flights Following Serious FZ1073 Cockpit Incident

October 1, 2026

All Six On Board Killed After Private Helicopter Crashes And Burns In Zimbabwe

All Six On Board Killed After Private Helicopter Crashes And Burns In Zimbabwe

October 1, 2026

Airbus A350F Completes Maiden Flight, Begins Flight-Test Campaign Ahead Of 2027 Entry

Airbus A350F Completes Maiden Flight, Begins Flight-Test Campaign Ahead Of 2027 Entry

September 30, 2026

Flydubai 737 Flight Triggers Hijack Alert After Reported Pilot Altercation In Cockpit

Flydubai 737 Flight Triggers Hijack Alert After Reported Pilot Altercation In Cockpit

September 30, 2026

Aviation Today Perspectives

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 4

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

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility Part 2- Aviation Today Perspectives

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

From Demonstrations to Networks: The Real Test of Advanced Air Mobility - Aviation Today Perspectives

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?

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

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

Follow Us

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in X-twitter Youtube

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

Quick Links

About Us
Contact Us
Services
Advertise
FAQ

Navigate

Latest News
Civil Aviation
Pilot Training
Flight School Analysis
Aviation Jobs
Training

General Support

info@aviationtoday.in

News Desk Support

news@aviationtoday.in

Follow Us

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in X-twitter Youtube

© Copyright 2026 Aviation Today. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer

Search

About Us
Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
Contact Us
Advertisement

Aviation Newsletter

Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube