HUBBALI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has given the nod to set up a Flying Training Centre (FTC) in Hubballi. This will the third FTC in the North Karnataka region after Belagavi and Kalaburagi.
Hubballi Airport is one of the oldest airports in the state. The AAI approved the FTC in Hubbali owing to the minimal disruption in the region over issues like weather, civil and military air traffic.
With the rising demand to set up an FTC to train interested youths from this region in the aviation sector, five such centres came up last year under the liberalised Flying Training Organisation policy of the Airport Authority of India. Earlier, youths had to seek resort to Jakkur Flying Training School near Bengaluru or other metro cities, with very few clearing the selection procedures.
Considering the centre's importance in the area, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia consented to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's request to set up the FTC.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Prof Ashok Shettar, Vice-chancellor of KLE Technological University, Hubballi said, "It is a great opportunity for youths of this region to get trained and become eligible for new jobs and new opportunities in the aviation sector."
"Post Covid, the aviation sector will be expanding very fast. It requires a lot of manpower and it is time to train youths in that sector,” he added.
According to sources, Hubballi is getting the FTC under the phase-2 liberalised Flying Training Organisation policy. It may take about six months to call for a tender and by next year the agencies awarded the tender will start operating from the Hubballi Airport. The tender will be awarded to two agencies and both will train aspirants.
Airport director Pramod Thakre said the airport has adequate land and infrastructure to start the FTC. The tender may call on the BOT (built, operate and transfer) model, and awarded agencies will set up infrastructure and operate for 10-15 years as per the agreement and later hand it over to the AAI.