August 5, 2026 – In a significant step towards strengthening India’s pilot training ecosystem, Letters of Intent (LoIs) were awarded today for the establishment of 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across seven Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports by Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
Forty-one Flying Training Organisations are currently operating from 63 flying bases across the country. With the addition of these 11 new FTOs across seven AAI airports, India’s annual pilot training capacity is expected to increase by 750 cadets per year, providing a substantial boost to the domestic training ecosystem.
The FTO ecosystem witnessed the establishment of six new FTOs over the last two years. During this period, the number of training aircraft available with Indian FTOs has increased from 324 to 385, resulting in a 25 per cent rise in annual flying hours across the pilot training ecosystem. The expansion has translated into a significant improvement in pilot output. The number of Commercial Pilot Licences (CPLs) issued increased from 1,347 in 2024 to 1,652 in 2025, the highest number issued in the last decade, with 2026 expected to witness a further increase.
