Flying training academies to come up in Belagavi, Kalaburgi airports

BELAGAVI: Belagavi and Kalaburgi are among the five cities in the country where Flying Training Academies will come up shortly under the liberalised Flying Training Organisation policy of the Airport Authority of India.

The airports of Belagavi and Kalaburgi have been chosen to set up the academies considering the minimal disruption here with regard to issues like weather and civil/military air traffic. The other cities in the country to get the academies include Jalgaon, Khajuraho and Lilabari.

Following the bidding invited by AAI, the award letters for the establishment of Flying Training Academies in the country have been issued on May 31 to flying agencies (winning bidders) - Asia-Pacific, Jetserve, Redbird, Samvardhane and Skynex. According to sources, the work for setting up academies in Belagavi has been awarded to Samvardhane and Redbird, the two flying agencies which are expected to initiate work on setting up the academy shortly.

"The AAI has decided to allot about 5000 sq mts area to the agencies at Belagavi airport for hangar and apron to the two agencies. The designated area at the airport will be leased out to the two agencies for a period of 25 years and that the location of the agency falls in the area of the airport towards Shinoli village,'' a top in AAI said.

The flying agencies which will set up the academies in Kalaburgi airport are Asia-Pacific and Redbird. According to the sources, it may take at least a year for the two agencies to launch civil work to set up the hangar and apron at Kalaburgi.

About 5000 sq mts area is being allotted for the academy at Kalaburgi and it may take a few months for the agencies to get all the needed approvals from the AAI. The agencies are expected to sign agreements and get various approvals from the DGCA and AAI with regard to various issues including parking base, security approval, safety measures, design, etc., before going ahead with the initial phase of their launch in Belagavi and Kalaburgi.

The establishment of flying academies has been an initiative of the AAI aimed at making India a global flying training hub and to prevent the exodus of Indian cadets to foreign FTOs. Additionally, the FTOs will also be designed to cter to the flying training requirements of the cadets in India's neighbouring countries.

The parameters set for the agencies before won the bids included familiarisation with aviation safety aspects, regulatory mechanisms, experience in the field of training pilots on manned aircraft, availability of equipment, trainers, etc. To make FTOs attractive for bidders, AAI reduced the minimum annual rental significantly to Rs 15 lakh. And the concept of airport royalty was scrapped to make these ventures business-friendly, according to official information.