Bird Group to train pilots

First it said it would foray into the regional airline segment. Now, the Bird Group is now all set to open an institute for training pilots. The group has an annual turnover of Rs200 crore, and plans to commence operations by the end of this year. It will take around 120 students into its first batch.

The Bird Group has selected Ludhiana as its base and will train the pilots on a single-engine aircraft. Companies like Boeing, Airbus, Alteon and CAE have shown interest in opening up commercial pilot training centres in India.

In fact, CAE has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint venture with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI). It has also signed a memorandum of understanding to become the managing partner of the Indian government's flight training academy - Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Akademi (IGRUA).