Air India Secures DGCA FTO Approval for New Pilot Training Academy

India – Indian airline Air India has received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its Air India Flying Academy at Belora Airport in Amravati, Maharashtra, clearing a regulatory requirement for the commencement of its domestic commercial pilot training operation. Announced on October 30, 2026, the approval advances the airline's plans to establish an in-house ab initio training pipeline supporting future pilot requirements.

• The academy will operate 34 training aircraft, comprising 31 single-engine Piper Archers and three twin-engine Diamond DA42 NG aircraft. All aircraft allocated to the facility had reportedly arrived at Belora Airport by late October 2026, following their relocation from Nagpur.
• Air India has previously outlined a target of graduating 180 commercial pilots annually once the academy reaches planned operating capacity. The 10-acre campus is designed to accommodate up to 180 cadets simultaneously.
• The DGCA approval follows the academy's Combined Airworthiness Organisation (CAR-CAO) approval in August 2026, which authorised maintenance and continuing airworthiness activities for its training fleet.
• According to the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), the facility could commence operations as early as November 2026, subject to completion of remaining administrative and operational arrangements.
• The academy was established through a 30-year arrangement with MADC to develop and operate a flight training organisation at Belora Airport. It is intended to reduce Air India's dependence on overseas ab initio flight training while supporting its future commercial pilot recruitment requirements.
• The Amravati facility complements Air India's 600,000-square-foot aviation training academy in Gurugram, where cadets are expected to complete ground school and subsequent airline-specific training. The combined training pathway is designed to prepare pilots for potential positions within Air India Group.
• AFM previously reported that Air India Flying Academy secured DGCA CAR-CAO approval effective August 5, 2026, under reference IND.CAR-CAO.000029. AFM also covered the development of the academy's maintenance infrastructure and its planned 34-aircraft training operation.
• The academy's published CPL syllabus provides for approximately 200 flight hours, comprising 185 single-engine and 15 multi-engine hours, within an estimated 18-month ground school and flight training phase. Supporting equipment includes two Frasca single-engine FSTDs and one Diamond multi-engine FSTD. The aircraft feature Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and ADS-B equipment.

Source: Air India