New Aerospace Academy to come up in Coimbatore

Groupe Aviation, Park Group, Link Aero Technologies team up for aerospace academics

BY A CORRESPONDENT
January 28, 2006

Coimbatore-based Park Group of institutions has tied up with Link Aero Technologies of Malaysia and 'Groupe Aviation' of Bangalore to set up an Aviation and Aerospace Academy of higher engineering with an outlay of $10 million.

Groupe Aviation Technology chairman Dr K Ramchand said: "with the boom in Indian civil aviation, there has been a tremendous growth in terms of new airlines launching operations and acquisition of new aircraft by existing players. At the same time, there has been a shortage of manpower and there is an urgent need to fill this gap."

He added, "It is estimated that in the next five years, India requires an additional 5,000 trained pilots and 500 Licenses Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAME) to service the fleet of existing aircraft. Each aircraft would require about 100 support staff." The academy would have two divisions, one to train pilots and the other to train ground staff. It would also be at par with other international academies and use modern teaching aids. The institute expects to begin operations in March this year and will initially train 100 pilots a year and 30 LAMEs per batch.

Currently, Park's College of Engineering and Technology is offering graduate and post-graduate courses in aerospace engineering, besides specialised courses on manufacturing and related activities related to aeronautics for employees of various companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Masters Aerospace, Bangalore, specialists in aerospace consultancy services, was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study. They recommended setting up such an institution to address the current shortages in skilled manpower for pilot, maintain and operate new acquisitions and the existing ones.