To train up to 5,000 pilots a France-based flight simulator provider - Simaero - announced on Thursday that it will invest USD 100 million in India over the next five years.
The focus of this investment will be towards establishing infrastructure related to the training facility and developing a competent local workforce. "The development of a state-of-the-art training facility in Delhi NCR is well underway, with construction expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2024," the company mentioned. As per the sources, this facility will be spread over 4,500 square meters, wherein, it will feature eight full-flight simulators for A320neo and B737NG aircraft.
As the Indian carriers have placed record-setting aircraft orders, which exceed their current active fleet, Simaero said it is entering the Indian aviation market for this sole lucrative reason.
Furthermore, Indian carriers have made four significant aircraft orders since last year tTo meet the growing demand in the country's air travel market. In February 2023, the Tata-run Air India Group had placed an order for 470 planes (250 with Airbus and 220 with American Airplane manufacturer Boeing).
Also to note, IndiGo made the world's largest aircraft order by signing a deal for 500 A320neo family planes from Airbus last year in June. And in January this year, Akasa Air, a burgeoning airliner, placed an order for 150 B737 Max aircraft with Boeing. IndiGo placed an order with Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft at a deal size estimated to be between $4-5 billion last month.
Currently, India has approximately 12,000 active pilots, wherein, the country will need approximately three times the number of pilots over the next 20 years to accommodate this growth; according to a recent study by Boeing.
"Currently, India has limited aviation training infrastructure. With a growing demand, many airlines are required to send their pilots overseas for training which increases costs in an industry which operates on minimal margins," Simaero noted. Nicolas Mouté, CEO of Simaero, said, “Our substantial investment in India reflects our confidence in the country's strong economic foundation and the promising growth of its aviation industry."
