Air India has taken delivery of the first two Diamond DA42NG multi-engine trainer aircraft for its upcoming Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati, marking a key milestone in the creation of South Asia’s largest pilot training facility. The Amravati airport has been developed by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC).
Trainer aircraft and investment
The Diamond DA42NG aircraft are the first of 34 trainer aircraft of this type ordered by Air India in December 2024. These will be used for multi-engine training of cadet pilots. The aircraft are part of Air India’s Rs 400 crore investments in the Amravati FTO. The FTO fleet will also include 13 single-engine trainer aircraft from Piper Aircraft, which have already been shipped to India.
Cadet pilots training
Once fully operational, the Amravati FTO will train 180 cadet pilots every year. After completing their flying training at Amravati, cadets will proceed to Air India’s Aviation Academy in Gurugram for further certification on the airline’s commercial aircraft types.
