NEW DELHI: Indian carriers having a similar type of aircraft numbering over 20 aircraft would now have to mandatorily install simulator training facility within India.
India’s civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) -- a set of rules that govern the functioning of the Indian civil aviation sector -- stating that Indian domestic carriers must "progressively" reduce the use of overseas simulator training facilities.
DGCA in a directive has said: "Operators with more than 20 aeroplanes of one type shall have owned/leased simulator capacity within India for that type by December 31, 2018," Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
The DGCA guidelines further states that ATOs (Approved Training Organisations) should adopt market based approach to increase the utilization of under-utilized simulators first within the country and then with foreign customers through lease options.
"Operators should increase training facilities in India through options of offset clauses in lease or purchase of aeroplane," it said.
The latest CAR would be applicable on scheduled operators and ATOs imparting training to flight crew for type rating on aircraft with gross weight exceeding 5,700 kilograms. A320 from the stable of Airbus and B-777 from Boeing are among the planes that come under this classification.
A panel headed BS Bhullar, now the DGCA had recommended that airlines should have simulators for every 20 aircraft in their fleet. The DGCA is currently drafting a regulation in this regard and the draft guidelines will be in place by this month, according to sources.
In June 2016, DGCA had ordered India’s leading carrier IndiGo not to train its pilots at one of the two simulators at a training centre in Britain following an inspection of the facility and the subsequent detection of the malfunctioning in one of the two such machines.
At present, private carriers spend a significant amount on training of pilots overseas. A DGCA official pointed out that once private carriers have enough number of simulators in the country, it would help them in reducing the training costs for their pilots.
Indian pilots have to undergo simulator checks once every six months.
With respect to overseas simulator facilities, the regulator also said that option should be used as far as possible only by operators with less than 20 aeroplanes in a fleet.
Besides, ATOs have been directed to enhance their instructor capacity by December 2018 to fully utilize their installed simulator capacity through their own instructors.
The civil aviation ministry wants airlines and aircraft manufacturers to set up flight simulators to meet the rising demand for trained pilots in India.
Currently, state-owned Air India and private carrier Jet Airways have their own simulators for their Boeing and Airbus aircraft, while other airlines train their pilots at simulators owned by Air India and other private companies in India and abroad.
However there are no simulators in India for small planes like ATR, Bombardier, and Embraer aircraft.
Currently, domestic carriers operate over 450 planes and have 660 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.