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Air India. (Photo: Air India)
The FTO at Amravati will help make Indian aviation more self-reliant and provide more opportunities for young Indians to become pilots.
Air India, the top airline in India, is setting up South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) in Amravati.
This move is part of an initiative by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to boost the country’s pilot training capacity.
The new FTO, licensed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will be operational by the first quarter of the fiscal year 2026. It will train 180 commercial pilots annually, using 31 single-engine and 3 twin-engine aircraft.
This FTO, the first ever by an Indian airline, will feature 31 single-engine aircraft and 3 twin-engine aircraft for training purposes. Air India has secured a 30-year contract from MADC to establish and operate the FTO.
Air India’s MD & CEO, Campbell Wilson, highlighted the importance of the FTO: The FTO at Amravati will be a significant step towards making Indian aviation more self-reliant and offering more opportunities to the youth in India to fulfill their ambitions of flying as pilots.”
Sunil Bhaskaran, Director of Air India’s Aviation Academy, added, “The FTO will be operational by Q1 FY26 and offer aspiring pilots an opportunity to undergo training with world-class curricula at par with best-in-class global schools.”
The Amravati FTO will span 10 acres, featuring modern classrooms, top-notch hostels, a digitized operations center, and an in-house maintenance facility, ensuring high safety standards and excellent training.
Earlier this year, Air India announced its new Training Academy in Gurugram, the largest in South Asia, covering 600,000 sq ft. The Amravati FTO will complement this academy, reinforcing Air India’s commitment to advancing India’s aviation sector.
