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Latest News

Pilot and Daughters Survive 12 Hours on Wing in Freezing Lake After Alaska Plane Crash. After a plane crash in Alaska’s icy waters, volunteers and the National Guard locate the wreckage, rescuing three survivors from freezing temperatures.

Airplane Crashes

Pilot and Two Daughters Survive 12 Hours on Wing in Freezing Lake After Alaska Plane Crash

March 26, 2025

Akasa Air is experiencing operational difficulties due to Boeing’s delayed aircraft deliveries, leaving hundreds of its pilots without work | Aviation Today

Boeing

Boeing Delays Leave 310 Akasa Air Pilots Waiting, Disrupting Expansion Plans

March 25, 2025

Korean Air a deal with Boeing & GE Aerospace at approx $32 billion, includes the purchase of 20 Boeing 777-9 & 20 Boeing 787-10 aircraft | Aviation Today

Airlines

Korean Air Finalizes $32 Billion Aircraft Deal with Boeing and GE Aerospace

March 25, 2025

India’s major airlines have refused to share detailed airfare data with the DGCA, raising concerns over transparency and regulatory oversight | Aviation Today

DGCA

IndiGo, Air India Resist DGCA’s Demand for Fare Data, Citing Competitive Risks

March 24, 2025

DGCA Plans ranking system for Flying Training Organizations in India, by evaluating flight schools based on performance metrics & time taken to obtain a CPL

Pilot Training

DGCA Plans Ranking System for Flight Schools to Tackle Training Delays, Improve Standards

March 24, 2025

Southwest Airlines Flight had to abort takeoff at Orlando Airport as the crew mistakenly attempted to depart from a taxiway instead of runway | Aviation Today

Incidents

Southwest Crew Aborts Takeoff After Mistaking Taxiway for Runway, FAA Investigates

March 22, 2025

A British Airways (BA) crew member has been arrested in Singapore over allegations of sexually assaulting a fellow flight attendant | Aviation Today

International

British Airways Crew Member Faces Arrest in Singapore After Alleged Assault

March 22, 2025

A Hong Kong Airlines flight operating from Hangzhou to Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing in Fuzhou March 20, 2025, after a fire broke out in an overhead compartment, reportedly caused by a power bank | Aviation Today

Incidents

Power Bank Fire Forces Hong Kong Airlines Flight to Make Emergency Landing in Fuzhou

March 21, 2025

BPCL, a Maharatna PSU, has signed a quadripartite MoU with BluJ Aerospace for developing the world’s First hydrogen-powered VTOL Hub in Kerala | Aviation Today

Air Taxi

World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Flying Taxi Hub Coming to India, BPCL signs MoU

March 20, 2025

HIV- Positive Pilot Takes DGCA to Court Over Conditional Flying | Aviation Today

DGCA

HIV-Positive Pilot Takes DGCA to Court Over Conditional Flying Clearance

March 20, 2025

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams & Barry Wilmore have returned to Earth after a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station | Aviation Today

NASA

NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore Return to Earth After 9 months in Space

March 19, 2025

Graubuenden police confirmed that an Extra EA-400 plane crashed near La Punt Chamues-ch, Switzerland, 2 mins after departing Samedan Airfield | Aviation Today

Airplane Crashes

A Denmark-bound Aircraft Crashed in Switzerland, Killing All Three Passengers On board

March 19, 2025

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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

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