|
Tamil Nadu wants an aviation training institute
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
6 August, 2005: Tamil Nadu wants the Centre to set up an aviation university in the State. State Chief Minister J Jayalalitha has written a
letter to this effect to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The university should impart training to pilots, engineers, air traffic control personnel and in disciplines linked with aviation,
she said.
Jaya’s letter reportedly states that Madurai Airport, which was free from fog and away from the busy air corridors, was an
ideal place for setting up such an university.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister also pointed out to Singh in her letter that at a recent meeting between state Planning
Commission aide V S Arunachalam and the United States Secretary of Transport, the issue of setting up the university at
Madurai, with the support of the U S Federal Aviation Authority, was discussed.
Jayalalitha said in her letter to Manmohan Singh that Madurai had an “inexhaustible supply of engineering and other
graduates, small and medium industries and a well developed hospitality industry that could support the influx of students
and facilities of the new university”.
The airport's runway is being expanded to 7000 feet and 2000 feet more could be added to allow bigger aircraft to land,
the letter said.
To back her case, she also cited that there was abundant land near the airport to set up technical and educational facilities
of the university.
International Aviation academies
Aviation academies like Flight Safety International, Delta Academy and Pan Am International Flight Academy are essentially
flight schools which conducts flight training and certification curriculum in about 12 to 18 months. Those who pass out will
get an FAA Private Pilot Certificate, an FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Multi Engine Ratings and an
FAA Flight Instructor (Airplane) Certificate. The costs may vary from $40,000 to $80,000.
Indian scenario
With the aviation industry witnessing and set to continue a boom as fares dip and incomes rise, there is a shortage of pilots
in the country too. As per the Union Civil Aviation Ministry itself state-run Air India and Indian airlines are short of more than
150 airlines. With many new private players entering the field and both AI and IA itself set to increase their fleet, there is
going to be acute shortage of pilots. Many Indian Airforce Personnel have also quit their jobs to cash in on the lucrative pay
packages.
The government has decided to enhance the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA) in Rae Bareli, Uttar
Pradesh. Another aviation institute is being set up in Gondia in
Maharashtra.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the authority which grants permission for opening of aviation training
academies. There are 39 flying training institutes of which 11 are privately owned.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
|
