UP's flying institute IGRUA, Flight Simulation Technique Centre to train student pilots

Flying institute IGRUA has tied up with Gurugram-headquartered FSTC to provide specialised training to student pilots for aircraft like Airbus A 320, Boeing 737 and ATR 72 in order to produce "industry-ready" aviators, officials said.

The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) and the Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC) have signed an agreement for this at the recently concluded Aero India exhibition in Bengaluru, according to the officials.

IGRUA, located in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh and functioning under the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), was established in 1986 and currently trains cadets for Commercial Pilot's License (CPL).

The usual industry process requires a CPL-holder with 200 hours of flying experience to obtain a "type-rating" certificate on specific aircraft before induction into any airline for the first officer's post. This process usually requires an additional expenditure on the pilot's part and training on simulators abroad, the officials said.

"IGRUA has taken the initiative to address this issue and has achieved another milestone on 14 February 2023. During the Aero India event in Bengaluru, IGRUA joined hands with one of the largest ATOs (approved training organisation) in the country FSTC Gurugram to produce industry-ready pilots," Director IGRUA Krishnendu Gupta told PTI.

"These pilots will have CPL along with type rating on A320, B737, ATR-72, and Q400. An MoU was signed on 14 February whereby, both the organisations will work together to produce pilots who are fully qualified and type-rated to take up jobs as first officers in any of the airlines operating in India," Gupta said.