NEW DELHI: State-run carrier, Air India will set up a simulator unit in the national capital by this year- end for training pilots for its ATR aircraft – a 40 to 70 seater small size plane – largely meant to be deployed for short haul operations.
Air India CMD, Ashwani Lohani on Wednesday said that the airline is in the process of recruiting at least 200 more pilots for its ATR operations. “We will be adding 20 more ATR planes by this year end for which we would recruit 200 pilots. Right now we have eight ATR which are flown by 70 of our pilots,” Lohani told reporters.
The development which is a clear indication that the national carrier would share the major burden of Narendra Modi’s government’s ambitious Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to connect unserved and underserved airports, is yet to take –off. “The bidding for RCS will close on January 16 and after then we would take a call on routes we would fly,” said Lohani.
Lohani said that they have started operating on Bhatinda (Punjab) and Kanpur – U.P – both these states go to polls next month – with ATR 72 planes, but these destinations are not under RCS but part of “our regional connectivity.”.
Currently, Air India’s regional arm , Alliance Air has eight ATRs in its fleet and 70 pilots who fly these small planes for short haul operations.
The need for setting up simulators for the ATRs by Air India also comes in the wake of Indian carriers India’s civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on January 4 this month issuing a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) -- a set of rules that govern the functioning of the Indian civil aviation sector in this regard.
The DGCA’s new rules makes it mandatory for Indian airlines to mandatorily install simulator training facility within India – if they have a similar type of aircraft numbering over 20 aircraft.
Air India currently has two simulator training units one at Hyderabad for its Airbus 320 fleet and for Boeing 737 and 747 at Mumbai. Air India’s third simulator coming up at Delhi will exclusively deal with ATR training and would cost the airline Rs 25 crore. Atleast 70 pilots can be trained for on simulator – for ATR planes – every year, according to an airline official.
Currently, there are no simulators in India for small planes like ATR, Bombardier, and Embraer aircraft being operated in India.
Lohani said that the carrier would start Delho-Kochi- Dubai operations using its Boeing 787 Dreamliners from February 1. “We would add four more Dreamliners by August and that would cater to our five new international destinations including U.S, being planned,” said Lohani.