Rs 250-cr pilot training center coming up in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Gurugram-based Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC) is setting up its center with an initial investment of Rs 250 crore at GMR Aerospace Park here. The new facility will come up on one acre of land and is expected to be operational by July this year. FSTC will train pilots from south India and south-east Asia market.

It’ll have five aircraft simulators in the first phase and the second phase will be operational in 2019 with additional three simulators at a cost of $10mn to $15mn for each, according to a release. 

Capt DS Basron, CEO, FSTC, said: “The 8-bay facility will be holding different genre of brand new simulation machines of Boeing, Airbus, ATR & Dash 8 (Q-400), the facility will offer five simulators in first phase and three in second for Level D simulator services.”
Considering 70 aircraft parking in Hyderabad and the growing demand of 7,000-10,000 pilots in the near future, FSTC finds a growing demand for pilot training. 

Sanjay Mandavia, Director at FSTC, said: “Earlier, pilots would have to go abroad for simulation training, but with our Gurugram center opened in 2011, pilots with commercial pilot license are trained at our centre for Rs15 lakh per year, which is two-third of the cost of training abroad.”

FSTC is looking at a total 25,000 hours per year of training at their Hyderabad base. DS Basron adds: “We have been receiving enquiries from southern India pilots, hence we expect at least 50 entries for 55 days course of 64 hours. 

And the training begins with first level of classroom training with the next being low level simulators and then full-fledged simulator training.” FSTC has tied up with many commercial airlines and considers Hyderabad as its preferred choice as best flying schools are here.