NEW DELHI: Flight simulation and solutions provider Simaero will train around 5,000 pilots over a period of five years with a planned investment of $100 million in India for creating the infrastructure for simulator-based pilot training, the French company said in a statement.
The company’s flight simulators and training solutions cover commercial aircraft manufactured by Airbus, Boeing, ATR and Embraer.
“Simaero’s $100 million investment will be strategically allocated to the infrastructure for the training centre and the development of a trained local workforce. The development of a state-of-the-art training facility in Delhi NCR is well underway, with construction expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2024. This centre, which is spread over 4,500 square metres, will feature eight full-flight simulators starting with A320 NEO and B737NG aircraft types,” the company said.
Simaero will bring in the investment in a phased manner to create training infrastructure and install flight simulators for pilot training in India and the South Asian region.
As leading Indian airlines such as IndiGo and Air India significantly expand their fleet with record number of orders for narrowbody and widebody aircraft, Simaero sees enormous demand for flight simulator fleets to train a large number of pilots.
“Simaero’s decision to enter the Indian aviation market is driven by the record-setting aircraft orders, which have exceeded the current active fleet. Indian carriers have over 1,200 Airbus aircraft and 470 Boeing aircraft on order,” the company said.
“India presently has approximately 12,000 active pilots. According to a recent study by Boeing, India will need approximately 3x the number of pilots over the next 20 years to accommodate this growth,” it added.
Khushbeg Jattana will lead Simaero’s team in India and is currently overseeing the entire project lifecycle, from initial planning and design to final completion and operationalisation.
“Our substantial investment in India reflects our confidence in the country’s strong economic foundation and the promising growth of its aviation industry. We are excited to be part of this dynamic market and contribute to its development,” said Nicolas Mouté, Chief Executive Officer of Simaero.
