To strengthen the aviation ecosystem in India, Air India Group has begun establishing a Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO). It is expected to go live by mid-2026 and is being set up in partnership with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL), a Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) subsidiary.
Once live, the institute will offer an integrated 2+2 years Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) Program certified by India’s aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation. BACL has been tasked with developing a built-to-suit facility for the abovementioned program. The establishment, spread over 86,000 sq. ft. at Bengaluru City Airport, will feature classrooms, modern labs for practical training, and a team of qualified and certified trainers.
There’s a good reason to place the institute in Bengaluru. Nearby will be Air India’s new 12-bay Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which will likely go live by early 2026. So, the 2+2 mentioned above breaks down to two years of in-classroom training, followed by two years of practical on-the-job training at the MRO. Although the program has been designed to meet the airline’s growing fleet maintenance requirements, it will also create a path for students to target careers focusing on specialisation. Moreover, university partnerships will encourage them to pursue bachelor’s degrees.
Until BMTO starts operations, Air India will conduct a Cadet AME course with other institutes in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This will help create the highly trained workforce required to support the smooth running of BMTO.
