Career in Aviation

Aviation is among those lucrative fields that are still amongst the better-paid and has a sense of panache that lures youth for a better future. It gives ample opportunity to those who’d want to succeed in realizing the almost universal childhood dream of earning their wings to grow a pair. A person of scientific background, he can opt for a career as a Pilot, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, etc. and if a person is good at communication and interpersonal skills, he or she can consider to be a Flight Steward or Air Hostess. Although the employment scenario has been bleak in the last few years, thanks to the waves of change sweeping the ‘civil aviation industry and the entry of several new private and international airlines players, the future holds limitless heights.

Employers in Aviation Industry

Besides Indian there are several private airlines like Indigo, Spice Jet, GoAir, Jet Airways etc are expanding their reach and operations in India. There are several other international airlines that operate through India like United Airlines, Air Asia, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, British Airways,etc have become household names. Several national and international mergers like of Air Asia and Jet Ethiad are still on cards the aviation industry in India is poised for takeoff.

Career Opportunities in Aviation

Airline Pilot

Airlines pilots are employed by national and private airlines as well as by foreign airlines. With the Asia Pacific region emerging as the new axis of the world, the jump is significant from 400 aircrafts in 2010, it is expected that Indian carriers plan to double their fleet size by 2020 to around 800 aircrafts. The aviation industry employs about 3000 pilots and there is an acute shortage of planes that will be added to the activity expanding Indian fleet in the next five years and a shortage of additional 7,000 pilots stares us in the face (Total requirement: over 15000 pilots by 2020)

Eligibility and Training

The educational and age requirement for CPL is passing Class 10+2 pass, with Physics and Maths as main subjects with at least 50% marks and minimum 18 years of age. The minimum height should be 5 feet and eyesight 6/6.The pilot training course spreads over a duration of 2 years and fees vary from Rs. 12-18 lakhs depending on the training institute.

1. Government Aviation Training Institute, Bhubaneswar
2. Coimbatore Flying Club, Coimbatore
3. Indian Aviation Academy, Mumbai
4. Jamshedpur Co-operative Flying Club Ltd, Jamshedpur
5. All India Institute of Aeronautics (AIIA), Dehradun
6. Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy, Secunderabad
7. Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics, Ahmedabad
8. Government Flying Training School, Bangalore
9. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, Bareli
10. West Bengal Flying Training Institute, Kolkata

Pay Scales

Remuneration for commercial pilots are very attractive, ranging from Rs.80,000/- to over Rs.4 lakh per month, depending on the airline. Besides the several attractive perks that go with the job ,the thrill of around the world field job is fate that all long for.You could start off as a trainee pilot on smaller aircraft or private aircraft that are owned by large corporate houses.There are over about 60 aviation companies in the country that rent out helicopters and small aircraft for pilgrimage, adventurous tour and travel .

Air Hostess / Flight Steward

The comfort and saftey of a passenger is of prime importance to the aviation sector. In this regard, it is an Air Hostess / Flight Steward whose role becomes undependable. Their job includes briefing passengers every step of the way from safety measures to cater foods and drinks. By an estimate, the various airlines in the country have over 20,000 Cabin Crew members and the number is expected to grow to over 30,000 by 2020.

Eligibility

The educational requirement for an Air Hostess / Flight Steward training programme is 10+2 or a diploma / degree in Hotel Management or Tourism Management or simple graduation. The aspirant must be an Indian Passport holder and should be below twenty-five years of age with proper weight and height ratio.

Unmarried male/female, with normal eyesight of 6/6 increased vision in each eye. Fluency in English, Hindi and knowledge of an international language is advantageous. Top 10 Air Hostess Training Institutes in India are listed below:

1. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Bangalore
2. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Chandigarh
3. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Delhi
4. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Mumbai
5. Air Hostess Academy (AHA), Pune
6. Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Mumbai
7. Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Delhi
8. Kingfisher Training Academy, Mumbai
9. Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Aeronautics, Jaipur
10. Universal Aviation Academy, Chennai

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

As safety of passenger is of paramount importance to aviation sector.The Aircraft Maintenance Engineers play a key role ensuring that the aircraft is in a perfect condition before take-off. The Aircraft Engineer certifies the aircraft is fit to take off. The job demands diagnostic and mechanical acuteness for maintenance and repair.

Eligibility

The educational requirement to be an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer is a Higher Secondary School Certificate with Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics as main subjects. Candidates are required to undergo a 3-year certificate course on aircraft maintenance engineering, conducted by various training schools approved by the Director-General of Civil Aviation.

1.Aeronautical Training Institute, Lucknow
2.Alpine Institute of Aeronautics, Dehradun
3.Azad Institute of Aeronautics & Engineering, Lucknow
4.Center for Civil Aviation Training
5.Indian Institute of Aircraft Engineering, New Delhi
6. Bharat Institute of Aeronautics, Patna
7. Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Aurangabad
8. Pune Institute of Aviation Technology, Pune
9.Academy of Aviation Engineering, Bangalore
10. Regional Institute of Aviation, Thiruvananthapuram

Add Comments and Suggestions or Ask Questions about Career in Aviation