Air India Launches South Asia's Largest Aviation Training Academy

Air India announces the establishment of a 600,000 square foot aviation training academy in Gurugram

Air India is set to establish South Asia's largest aviation training academy, spanning an impressive 600,000 square feet. The state-of-the-art facility in Gurugram, India, will accommodate over 20 simulators dedicated to training pilots for Airbus and Boeing fleets. The initiative marks a significant milestone in Air India's ongoing transformation and is poised to propel the future growth of India's aviation industry.

The announcement was made during Wings India 2024, a prestigious airshow in Hyderabad. The academy is scheduled to commence operations this month. Over the next few years, it aims to train more than 50,000 aviation professionals, including pilots, cabin crew, ground handling personnel, engineers, and security staff.

In addition to the aviation academy, Air India is also establishing its flight schools to train over 500 pilots annually to meet growing internal demands. Plans for an Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) school are also underway.

The academy will feature cutting-edge training facilities, including two advanced simulator training units developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). With over 20 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) Bays, the academy will ensure crew readiness for Air India's current and future Airbus and Boeing fleets. A joint venture with Airbus will equip the training centre with 10 FFS Bays, offering simulators for aircraft such as the Airbus A320 Family, A350, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Boeing 737 family.

Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD of Air India, expressed enthusiasm about the academy's role in enhancing India's aviation industry, stating their new training academy is a major step forward in making the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant and in building the aviation infrastructure necessary for India's position as one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.

With a focus on safety and leveraging the latest technology, the academy aims to become Asia's leading aviation training hub. It will provide comprehensive training programs covering Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP), service, grooming, voice, and accent training for cabin crew, as well as training for ground and security staff on critical functions such as departure control, customer service, and airport security. Moreover, the academy will offer management training in commercial, HR, and leadership domains, with a safety promotion centre ensuring a safety culture permeates every aspect of the training system, with inputs from industry leaders Boeing and Airbus.