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Aviation regulator DGCA issued 1,622 commercial pilot licenses (CPL) in 2023, which is the highest for any year in the last decade, according to official data. 2023 was the second consecutive year of decade-high CPL issuances after 2022. CPL issuances grew 39 per cent year-on-year (YoY) from 1,165 licenses issued in 2022.
“This is the second consecutive year where the number of licenses issued has witnessed a decade-high,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. In 2023, the regulator issued nearly one out of every five CPLs to women. DGCA said the number of CPLs given to women rose by 22.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY). DGCA estimates that 14 per cent of all the pilots employed with scheduled airlines are women pilots.
Meanwhile, the regulator said it had approved a new Helicopter Flying Training Organisation, enabling aspirants to undertake training and acquire Commercial licenses for Helicopters.
“With this, it is expected that the helicopter industry, largely engaged in Regional Connectivity Services (RCS), pilgrimage, air-ambulance, etc., will shore up in terms of crew strength by receiving an additional pool other than ex-military pilots,” DGCA said in a statement.
“(The growth) comes at a time when the country’s civil aviation sector is recovering at a fast pace post the coronavirus pandemic, and several major operators like Air India and Indigo have announced placing huge orders of new aircraft for Commercial Aircraft operations,” the regulator added.
The increase in CPL issuances highlights a growing demand for pilots to cater to passengers flying with Indian airlines. To keep pace with the growing air traffic in the sector, commercial aviation in the country demands more than 1,000 pilots annually. Similarly, carriers in the country will see over 1,000 planes being delivered between 2030 and 2035.
The Tata group of airlines, which includes Air India, Vistara, and Air India Express, and the largest airline by market share, IndiGo, have over 1,000 planes to be delivered by 2030 and beyond.
In February last year, Air India placed the world’s second-largest single-tranche aircraft order for 470 planes: 250 with Airbus and 220 with Boeing.
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