Air India orders 34 Piper and Diamond trainer aircraft
December 20, 2024
Air India is strengthening its pilot training capabilities with an order for 34 trainer aircraft as part of its plans to establish South Asia’s largest flight training organisation (FTO).
The state-of-the-art facility is being developed at Belora Airport in Amravati, Maharashtra, and is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
The order includes 31 single-engine Archer DXs from Piper Aircraft, and three twin-engine DA42s from Austria’s Diamond Aircraft.
The trainers, set for delivery starting in 2025, are equipped with glass cockpits and G1000 avionics systems.
The establishment of the FTO aligns with Air India’s Vihaan.AI transformation program, which aims to modernise the airline’s infrastructure and build self-reliance in pilot training as the carrier expands its fleet.
The new facility will aim to graduate 180 commercial pilots annually, addressing the growing demand for skilled aviators in India’s rapidly evolving aviation sector.
The Amravati FTO will complement Air India’s newly inaugurated Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram. Spread over 600,000 square feet, the Gurugram facility is the largest of its kind in South Asia.
Sunil Bhaskaran, director, Aviation Academy, Air India, said: “The new FTO is a strategic move to exponentially expand our training infrastructure and our commitment to building a self-reliant ecosystem of qualified pilots for both Air India and the Indian aviation industry.
“With this order of 34 trainer aircraft to support South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation, we are delighted to be playing a part in building the aviation infrastructure India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and to support the government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
