CAE Simulation Training (CSTPL), a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and CAE, on Tuesday announced the opening of a new pilot training centre in Mumbai.
The new 44,000-square foot centre will have a capacity for up to six full-flight simulators (FFS) and will begin operations in the first quarter of 2026 with two Airbus A320 simulators.
India would need to hire 30,000 pilots in the next two decades, which would be a huge jump from the total of 7,000 pilots working today, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said.
Expanding Training Capacity
In addition to the new centre in Mumbai, CSTPL operates three commercial aviation training centres in Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bengaluru with a capacity to operate up to 23 FFS.
The total number of commercial pilot licences (CPL) issued in India in 2024 fell by 17% in comparison to 2023, with a total of 1342 CPLs issued.
CSTPL Mumbai centre will also offer comprehensive pilot training programmes on Airbus, ATR and Boeing aircraft, including type rating, recurrent training, and proficiency checks.
Meeting Rising Pilot Demand
Michel Azar-Hmouda, CAE’s division president, commercial aviation, said: “The new Mumbai centre expands CSTPL’s ability to meet the rapidly growing demand for professional pilots in India – as many as 20,000 over the next 10 years.”
CAE’s 2025 Aviation Talent Forecast predicts a demand for 98,000 new pilots in the Asia Pacific region by 2034.
Aditya Pande, CEO, InterGlobe Enterprises, said, “We are delighted to expand CSTPL into Mumbai, in addition to our commercial aviation training centres in Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bengaluru. InterGlobe Enterprises and CAE are committed to building an ecosystem in aviation which will cater to the growing current and future demand for training pilots in India.”