Under the new ownership, Air India has been busy buying big and small jets from Boeing and Airbus. In fact, it recently bumped up its order book by an additional 100 aeroplanes with the latter. Now, it has announced that it has placed an order for 34 aircraft. But these aren’t turbojets or made by the manufacturers mentioned above. The latest order comprises 31 single-engine turboprops from USA’s Piper Aircraft and three twin-engined planes from Austria’s Diamond Aircraft.
Why turboprops all of a sudden? Well, these won’t be used for ferrying passengers between towns. What they will do, however, is play a vital role in the effective establishment of South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO), which, post regulatory approvals, will go live in Amravati, Maharashtra, before 2025 draws to a close. Yes, these newly ordered aircraft will be used to train, screen and graduate up to 180 commercial pilots per year.
The FTO mentioned above will help strengthen Air India’s Vihaan.AI transformation program. As the airline expands its fleet of aircraft, the trained pilots will help induct them. The aircraft on order, which will begin arriving in 2025, will boast glass cockpits, G1000 avionics systems and Jet A1 engines.
Air India opened a new Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, Haryana. With a real estate area of over 600,000 sq. ft., it is the largest in South Asia. Like the upcoming FTO, the academy will strengthen India’s aviation industry.
Also Read: ‘Vista Stream’ Now Available In Air India’s Narrowbody Fleet
