The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has successfully completed the tender process for 11 new Flying Training Organisation (FTO) slots across seven airports, marking another major step in expanding India’s pilot training infrastructure.
The initiative comes as the Ministry of Civil Aviation projects that India will require more than 30,000 additional pilots over the next decade to support rapid airline fleet expansion and the country’s growing airport network.
AAI launched the e-tender process in February 2026, with technical bids opened in April and financial bids finalized in May. The successful completion of the process clears the way for selected training organisations to establish operations under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with AAI providing airport land and airside infrastructure.
The new FTO slots build on earlier rounds conducted in 2021 and 2022, which together added 15 pilot training slots across multiple airports nationwide. The expansion is expected to strengthen India’s domestic pilot training capacity as airlines continue placing large aircraft orders and new airports become operational.
With Indian carriers expected to induct around 500 additional aircraft over the next five years, the new training facilities are aimed at reducing reliance on overseas flying schools while supporting the country’s fast-growing aviation sector.
