 "Govt wants airlines to set up simulators")
The civil aviation ministry wants airlines and aircraft manufacturers to set up flight simulators to meet the rising demand for trained pilots in India.
Following recommendations from a civil aviation ministry committee headed by joint secretary B S Bhullar to set up a flight simulator for every 20 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is drafting a regulation in this regard. A ministry official said the recommendation had been approved and DGCA would be issuing draft guidelines in the next two weeks.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the government wanted aircraft manufacturers to set up simulators in India. “We want to build an aviation ecosystem in the country,” he said, adding that the companies would not be arm-twisted to provide simulators.
Currently, Air India and Jet Airways have their own simulators for their Boeing and Airbus aircraft, while other airlines send their pilots to third-party simulators in India and abroad.
There are no simulators in India for ATR, Bombardier, and Embraer aircraft.
The issue of simulator training also came up during a recent meeting between the civil aviation ministry and representatives of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The Japanese company is developing a regional jet and is looking for customers in India.
Pilots have to undergo simulator checks once every six months. Also, simulators are used for training pilots on new aircraft type. The sector criticised the move, saying it was impractical.
Airline executives said building a simulator was not part of the core business of airlines and such a mandate would increase their costs. “Expert organisations should build that; airlines are only customers,” said the chief executive of a private airline.
Queries to Vistara and IndiGo were not responded to. SpiceJet said airlines should be left alone to decide whether they would go for leasing for pilot trainings or investing in simulators. And, the government has no role to play in such investment decisions.
“If the government is serious about building flight simulator facilities and training ecosystem in India, it should slash the import duties on simulators and Indian banks should be allowed to finance the process. Teg cost of credit and dollar-rupee fluctuations make it impossible for airliners to build such facilities in the most economical way,” said the spokesperson.
Experts corroborated this saying it’s not feasible for airlines in India to set up their own simulator, citing high costs. “A fairly average quality simulator costs $4 million in the current market price. Asking the airlines to set up one such simulator for every 20 aircraft is not at all practical – who will pay for it?” said Mark Martin of Dubai-based Martin Consultancy.
According to Martin, the government can build such training facilities and monetise it by opening them to the airlines. “In that way, the government makes money and also becomes a facilitator to build an ecosystem,” Martin said.
Currently, domestic airlines operate around 450 planes and have 700 aircraft on order. There is a shortage of trained commanders and airlines are hiring foreign pilots to operate aircraft. Setting up an in-house simulator could make pilot training easier and help the airlines reduce dependence on expatriates. The initiative is also part of the overall government vision to build an aviation ecosystem in the country.
Following recommendations from a civil aviation ministry committee headed by joint secretary B S Bhullar to set up a flight simulator for every 20 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is drafting a regulation in this regard. A ministry official said the recommendation had been approved and DGCA would be issuing draft guidelines in the next two weeks.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the government wanted aircraft manufacturers to set up simulators in India. “We want to build an aviation ecosystem in the country,” he said, adding that the companies would not be arm-twisted to provide simulators.
Currently, Air India and Jet Airways have their own simulators for their Boeing and Airbus aircraft, while other airlines send their pilots to third-party simulators in India and abroad.
There are no simulators in India for ATR, Bombardier, and Embraer aircraft.
The issue of simulator training also came up during a recent meeting between the civil aviation ministry and representatives of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The Japanese company is developing a regional jet and is looking for customers in India.
Pilots have to undergo simulator checks once every six months. Also, simulators are used for training pilots on new aircraft type. The sector criticised the move, saying it was impractical.
Airline executives said building a simulator was not part of the core business of airlines and such a mandate would increase their costs. “Expert organisations should build that; airlines are only customers,” said the chief executive of a private airline.
Queries to Vistara and IndiGo were not responded to. SpiceJet said airlines should be left alone to decide whether they would go for leasing for pilot trainings or investing in simulators. And, the government has no role to play in such investment decisions.
“If the government is serious about building flight simulator facilities and training ecosystem in India, it should slash the import duties on simulators and Indian banks should be allowed to finance the process. Teg cost of credit and dollar-rupee fluctuations make it impossible for airliners to build such facilities in the most economical way,” said the spokesperson.
Experts corroborated this saying it’s not feasible for airlines in India to set up their own simulator, citing high costs. “A fairly average quality simulator costs $4 million in the current market price. Asking the airlines to set up one such simulator for every 20 aircraft is not at all practical – who will pay for it?” said Mark Martin of Dubai-based Martin Consultancy.
According to Martin, the government can build such training facilities and monetise it by opening them to the airlines. “In that way, the government makes money and also becomes a facilitator to build an ecosystem,” Martin said.
Currently, domestic airlines operate around 450 planes and have 700 aircraft on order. There is a shortage of trained commanders and airlines are hiring foreign pilots to operate aircraft. Setting up an in-house simulator could make pilot training easier and help the airlines reduce dependence on expatriates. The initiative is also part of the overall government vision to build an aviation ecosystem in the country.