The Hindu Business Line : Panel moots policy for checking surge in aviation training institutes

Most of these institutes have an average of 30 centres and have plans to expand them further; a batch of minimum of 200 candidates passes out from each centre every year.

Mumbai May 7 The Civil Aviation Ministry is looking at curbing the mushrooming growth of aviation training institutes. At a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the ministry, it was decided a policy or a legal intervention may be considered, if the need arises.

Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Frankfinn, Flying Cats, the recently set up Kingfisher Training Academy and Excellence Aviation Academy are some of the prominent players. Most of these institutes have an average of 30 centres and have plans to expand them further. A batch of minimum of 200 candidates passes out from each centre every year.

An Assocham report `Aftermath of Commonwealth Games 2010' (March 2007), suggests Indian aviation sector would generate around 2.5 lakh jobs by 2010 with the aviation sector expected to become a Rs 35,000-crore industry during the same period.

These institutes charge fees ranging between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 1,50,000 for a one-year diploma going up to Rs 2 lakh for a two-year diploma.

Only the best

Ms Sapna Gupta of AHA told Business Line, "We spend around 70 to 75 per cent of the fees on training of one candidate," while Frankfinn's Mr Rakesh Agarwal said their annual payments to outside experts come to Rs 70,000. The training requires intensive grooming and institutes claim the best from styling, swimming, communications, computer training and other industries are on their boards to prepare students.

The institutes have specially designed classrooms to give the candidates an in-flight experience. Taking the glamour further, some claim to be providing real time experience of working in a flight while studying.

In-house experts

However, Ms Rubi Arya, AVP-Human Resources, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, said, "Our experience has taught us not to rely completely on the training imparted by such institutes and hence, we insist on every new candidate being trained by our in-house training experts." However, the airline respects the mission of the institutes providing employers with qualified employees.

Agrees the spokesperson of Air India. "We have our own criterion of judging the candidates. The academies do good to the students, but we place freshers and the `trained' candidates at par," he said. He equated the academies to coaching centres, training for engineering and management courses.

Regulation needed

However, the rate at which private institutes in technical education and now the aviation sector are shutting down is also alarming. Ms Gupta of AHA and Mr Agarwal of Frankfinn agree. Any move by the Government to regulate the industry would be welcome, they said. "Credibility of the institute, quality of trainers, track record in placements and infrastructure could be some of the criteria. But how any regulation or licensing is possible, is the question," added Mr Agarwal.