Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government is working to build a strong aviation ecosystem by offering quality, affordable and world-class training that matches the needs of the industry.
Mann said Punjab will emerge as a major hub of the aviation industry in the coming years. He was interacting with aircraft engineers and trainees at the Patiala Flying Club, according to an official release.
Stressing that his government wants to create job providers rather than job seekers, Mann said the upcoming aviation museum at the Patiala Aviation Complex, built at a cost of Rs 7 crore, will help preserve India’s aviation heritage and inspire future generations.
Mann said he was happy to take part in a dialogue session with students undergoing training at the Patiala Flying Club. He stated that the institute currently has 32 trainee pilots and 72 students enrolled at the Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College.
"Among the 32 trainee pilots, most belong to the first generation in their families entering the aviation sector. In private institutes, it costs Rs 40 to 45 lakh to become a commercial pilot, while at the Patiala Flying Club, there is about a 50 per cent subsidy, reducing the fee to Rs 22 to 25 lakh," Mann said.
He said that with a fee reduction of nearly Rs 20 lakh, students from ordinary families such as shopkeepers, teachers, farmers, clerks and others can now afford to dream of becoming pilots.
According to the official release, a new website of the Department of Civil Aviation was also launched on the occasion. Mann said the Patiala State Aviation Council, Punjab, is committed to giving every child the opportunity to fulfil their dream of flying high.
He said the aviation museum at Patiala will display MiG aircraft, second-generation helicopters, flight simulators and aviation heritage. Mann said the Patiala Flying Club has broken a decades-old barrier where pilot training was limited only to the very wealthy.
He said the flying club was established in 1965 and covers 253 acres, making it one of the largest aviation training campuses in the country. Mann added that the club ranks seventh at the national level and currently operates seven training aircraft, including five single-engine planes, two multi-engine planes and a newly added Tecnam P2006T aircraft purchased from Italy for Rs 5 crore.
"The facilities include night landing capability at Patiala airfield and training experience at Amritsar International Airport," he said. "The aviation career is not limited to becoming a pilot, as many students want to work in aviation but not necessarily as pilots," he added.
For such students, he said, the Punjab government provides affordable technical education at the Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) College, which runs the country’s most economical AME and B.Sc (Hons) programmes.
He said a three-year B.Sc (Hons) course combined with a three-year DGCA-approved AME programme costs only Rs 3 lakh in total, compared to Rs 5-8 lakh charged for similar courses in other states.
Mann said around one-third of the seats are reserved for students belonging to the SC and OBC categories. Calling it a matter of pride, he said more than 4,000 trained professionals from the Patiala Flying Club and College are currently working in major companies, with an average starting salary of Rs 1.5 lakh per month.
The Chief Minister said leading Indian airlines are among the main employers of students trained at this prestigious institute.
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