11 new flying schools approved to add 750 pilot cadets a year

India's flying schools have long been a bottleneck: not enough aircraft, instructors or flying days for the number of students. In August 2026 the government took another step to widen it.

What was announced

On 5 August 2026, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu awarded Letters of Intent (LoIs) for 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs):

• Spread across seven Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports
• Expected to add capacity for about 750 cadets a year
• Adding to 41 FTOs already operating from 63 flying bases

The minister repeated the "Train in India, Fly in India" vision and said safety must remain at the centre of all efforts.

What an LoI means

A Letter of Intent is the first stage. Each new FTO still has to build or lease facilities, acquire aircraft, hire and qualify instructors, and secure DGCA approval before it can start training. In practice that can take a year or more.

Why this matters

• In the first half of 2026, about 41% of new CPLs went to pilots trained abroad. More capacity at home could reduce the cost and time of training for many families.
• More flying bases spread across the country means less dependence on a few crowded airfields.
• Under DGCA norms of one aircraft and one instructor per ten students, the existing system holds about 3,500 students at a time. New schools raise that ceiling.

Planning your path

New schools take time to mature, so check their approval status, fleet and instructor numbers before enrolling. Meanwhile, you can complete DGCA ground classes and RTR(A) at any time, so you arrive at a flying school ready to fly rather than waiting on exams.