New Delhi: Only one flying training organisation in the country cornered the top 'A' rating, while none received the highest 'A+' rating in the aviation watchdog DGCA's rankings of 35 FTOs released on Friday.
In the first-ever ranking of the flying training organisations (FTOs) that was released on October 1 last year, none of the 35 organisations could get 'A+' or 'A' ratings.
The civil aviation ministry on Friday said that one FTO -- Avyanna Aviation Pvt Ltd -- got the 'A' rating in the second phase of the rankings, "marking a significant improvement compared to the previous phase where no FTO qualified in this category".
The number of FTOs in the 'C' category has come down while the count of entities with 'B' rating has increased, the ministry said, adding that the trend indicates an overall improvement in performance standards of FTOs.
In the second phase of the rankings, 17 FTOs each have received 'B' and 'C' ratings, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA), which has a 'B' rating, has shown significant progress in ranking, the ministry said in a release. The FTO comes under the ministry.
Operational aspects, FTO performance, safety standards, compliance standards and assistance to students are taken into consideration for evaluating the FTOs under four categories.
Those having a score of 85 per cent and above are classified as 'A+' and those with score of 70 per cent to less than 85 per cent are categorised as 'A'.
FTOs having a score of less than 70 per cent to 50 per cent are in the 'B' category, and those with a score below 50 per cent are in the 'C' category.
In the last 18 months, 6 new FTOs have been permitted, and 6 more are in the pipeline, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in the release.
FTOs provide training for pilots and other aviation professionals.
Since the introduction of the ranking system, there has been an increase in training flying hours from 32 per cent to 50 per cent, expansion of aircraft fleet at FTOs and improved training efficiency, enabling a reduction in time taken by cadets to complete flying requirements for obtaining CPL (Commercial Pilot License), the ministry said.
India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets.
According to Naidu, with several encouraging interventions in flying training, the number of CPLs issued has increased by more than 2.5 times over the last eight years, with record numbers in 2024 and 2025.
"In the next 5 years, India's aviation landscape will be leaping ahead with 50 more airports, Indian carriers inducting around 500 more aircraft and major Indian airports evolving into transit hubs through our hub-and-spoke policy. Then, with the historic outlay of Rs 29,000 crore through Modified UDAN, there is a lot of scope for regional connectivity as well.
So, Indian youth who are deeply passionate about aviation have a significant career opportunity, with an estimated requirement of nearly 30,000 additional pilots over the next decade," he said.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
