The Hindu Business Line : Air Hostess Academy opens Chennai arm

Speaking at a press conference here, Ms Sapna Gupta, Founder and Chief Consultant, AHA, said this marked the academy's entry into the South.Bangalore and Hyderabad are next, while Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram are being considered. In all, the academy plans to open seven more branches this year. It is now present in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Pune and Jaipur.

Ms Gupta said demand exceeded supply in the aviation industry. The demand for cabin crew stood at 21,000 people this year in India. AHA offers two diploma courses in aviation (in-flight as well as ground support) and hospitality management of one- and two-year durations. The two-year course focuses on service standards in businesses at an international level. Fees for the one-year course is Rs 84,500 and for the two-year course, Rs 1.49 lakh. The minimum qualification to join these courses is the 10+2 certification. Candidates have to be aged between 17 and 24 years. AHA admits both women and men.

So far, 2,000 students have passed out of AHA, and between 1,200 and 1,300 of them are women, Ms Gupta said, adding that the aviation and hospitality sectors prefer women for their natural qualities of patience and warmth.

The academy is an ISO 9001-2000 certified institute and an IATA partner. It also plans to open branches in SAARC countries, China and Dubai, Ms Gupta said. The investment in each branch is Rs 1 crore. Two AHA branches are franchises, Chennai being one.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page