Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said India will need at least 20,000 pilots in the coming years to meet the rising air-travel demand in the country — one of the world’s fastest growing aviation market.Addressing a gathering at the UDAAN Bhawan here following the launch of Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, the Minister said aviation has always been the backbone of connectivity, economic growth, and technological advancements.
He said the country will have 50 more airports in the next five years. The number of airports has doubled to 157 in the last 10 years.
“We are looking at a number which is very ambitious… if you look at the airline sector, we have orders of up to 1,700 planes that are about to come into the Indian fleet. And with so much growth that we are going to see in the coming days, there is going to be a need for at least 20,000 pilots in the near future,” Naidu said.
Naidu further said his ministry is using technology in a big way.
“With the launch of EPL, we are ensuring that the pilots can now access their licenses with greater ease and efficiency. This initiative also aligns with the government of India’s mission of Digital India, reinforcing our dedication on leveraging technology for the benefit of the citizens and the industry at large,” he said.