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India: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed a phased implementation of new pilot duty and rest regulations, aiming to enhance flight safety by reducing pilot fatigue. This proposal was submitted to the Delhi High Court, outlining a two-stage rollout | Aviation Today

DGCA

DGCA Plans 48-Hour Weekly Rest for Pilots from July 1, Delhi HC Notified

February 21, 2025

Oamaru: The High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Neeta Bhushan, visited the New Zealand Airline Academy (NZAA) in Oamaru last week, attending a dinner with local officials and academy representatives | Aviation Today

New Zealand

Indian High Commissioner Visits NZAA as Pilot Training Soars with Growing Fleet & Students

February 20, 2025

Arizona: A midair collision between two fixed-wing single-engine planes occurred on Wednesday morning near Marana Regional Airport, northwest of Tucson, Arizona. Authorities confirmed that two people lost their lives in the incident | Aviation Today

Airplane Crashes

Deadly Mid Air Collision Near Tucson Kills 2, Seventh US Air Disaster in Three Weeks

February 20, 2025

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Thursday launched the Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, making India the second country globally, after China, to implement this digital licensing system | Aviation Today

DGCA

India Launches E-License for Pilots, Making India World’s Second Country to Go Paperless

February 20, 2025

New Delhi: A pilots' association has raised concerns about an alleged strategy between Air India and IndiGo to avoid hiring pilots from each other, urging authorities to ensure fair employment practices in the aviation industry | Aviation Today

Airlines

Air India, IndiGo Accused of Restricting Pilot Hiring; ALPA India Seeks Govt Action

February 19, 2025

Washington: The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, as part of a federal workforce reduction effort | Aviation Today

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Several Hundred FAA Employees Dismissed via Email Amid Aviation Safety Concerns

February 19, 2025

India: Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, recently confirmed that the airline will delay exercising its options for Boeing aircraft until the manufacturer resolves its backlog | Aviation Today

Airlines

Air India Holds Off on Boeing Aircraft Orders Due to Backlog, CEO Confirms

February 18, 2025

Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday after a hard landing caused the Bombardier CRJ-900 to flip upside down during its approach. The flight, which departed from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, was carrying 80 people onboard, including 76 passengers and 4 crew members | Aviation Today

Accidents

Delta CRJ-900 Crash-Lands & Flips Upside Down at Toronto Pearson Airport, 18 Injured

February 18, 2025

Dubai: Dubai’s budget carrier FlyDubai is exploring a collaboration with Busy Bee Airways to launch a domestic airline in India. Busy Bee is currently in talks to acquire bankrupt airline Go First—formerly known as GoAir—through its Committee of Creditors (CoC) | Aviation Today

Airlines

Go First Set for a Comeback? FlyDubai Plans Entry into India’s Aviation Market

February 17, 2025

India: Chennai-based electric aircraft startup The ePlane Company has announced an agreement to supply 788 air ambulances to the International Critical Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT), a leading air ambulance service provider in India. This deal, valued at over $1 billion, aims to deploy electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft across all districts in the country | Aviation Today

eVTOL

The ePlane Company Signs $1B Agreement to Supply 788 eVTOL Air Ambulances to ICATT

February 17, 2025

New Delhi: A total of 268 instances of aircraft malfunctions were reported by private airlines in the 13 months leading up to January 2025, according to official data presented in the Lok Sabha by the civil aviation ministry on Thursday. The data, shared as part of a written reply, highlighted that in 2023 alone, 384 such incidents were recorded | Aviation Today

Airlines

MoCA Data: Airlines Report 268 Aircraft Malfunctions in 13 Months, IndiGo Tops List

February 15, 2025

Florida: Piper Aircraft reported a strong finish to 2024, delivering 291 aircraft—a nearly 20% increase from 2023, with 46 more aircraft delivered year-over-year—marking its highest delivery count since 2001 | Aviation Today

Aerospace

Piper Aircraft Record Sales in 20 years, FAA Mandates Rudder Change for 31,000 planes

February 14, 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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