Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu awarded Letters of Intent (LoIs) for the establishment of 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across seven Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports, aimed at strengthening India's pilot training ecosystem.

With the addition of the new FTOs, India's annual pilot training capacity is expected to increase by 750 cadets, supplementing the existing network of 41 FTOs operating from 63 flying bases across the country.

The minister said the expansion supports the government's vision of Viksit Bharat and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, while addressing the growing demand for trained pilots as Indian airlines have 1,640 aircraft on order, with nearly 500 aircraft expected to join fleets over the next five years.

He highlighted that the number of training aircraft at Indian FTOs has risen from 324 to 385 over the past two years, resulting in a 25% increase in annual flying hours. The number of Commercial Pilot Licences (CPLs) issued also increased from 1,347 in 2024 to 1,652 in 2025, the highest in a decade, with further growth expected in 2026.

The minister also highlighted reforms such as the liberalisation of FTO policies, abolition of airport royalties, rationalisation of land rentals, digitisation of the CPL examination process and the introduction of electronic pilot licences to improve training efficiency and competitiveness.

During the event, Ram Mohan Naidu also launched the FTO IFR Slot Booking App, a digital platform that enables flying training organisations to view and book available Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) training slots at AAI airports, ensuring better utilisation of airport infrastructure.