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Airports Authority of India is a statutory body established under the joint ownership of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
In 1972, The government of India created the International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) for managing India’s International airports. In 1986, the National Airports Authority of India (NAAI) was established to look after India’s domestic airports.
In April 1995, the Parliament’s Act – the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, merged the two organisations and resulted in one statutory body – the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Functions of AAI
Headquartered in New Delhi, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is responsible for
- Building, enhancing, serving, and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India.
- Providing Air Traffic Management (ATM) services over airspaces lying in Indian territory and the neighbouring oceanic areas.
- Providing Communication Navigation Surveillance (CNS).
- Creating, managing, maintaining and upgrading the aviation infrastructure in the country.
- Managing the international airports, domestic airports, customs airports and civil enclaves in the defence airfields.
Training Establishments of Airports Authority of India (AAI)
The Airports Authority of India is vested with huge responsibilities. The AAI has established three training establishments for the effective functioning of airports and related services.
Let us understand what each training establishment does.
Indian Aviation Academy
Indian Aviation Academy was set up under the aegis of NlAMAR-Society on 22nd July 2010. It is a training academy of the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
It gives training in all disciplines of airport management, starting from airport operations to airport engineering construction, maintenance and project management, human resource management, airport finance, commercial or land management, cargo management, aviation law, safety and security.
Indian Aviation Academy is an IATA accredited Training school that imparts a DGR training course. It is also an IATA authorised training centre for basic cargo introductory courses.
As per MOU targets, the Indian Aviation Academy trained thirty-two officers of the Airport Authority of India as per the corporate governance in 2014. It has also imparted two training programmes that year, carried out by ICAO experts. In addition, it had also offered a fellowship to twelve developing countries participants in conjunction with ICAO, Montreal.
In 2015, Indian Aviation Academy began a process to extend training facilities for SAARC countries in India.
On 9th December 2014, IAA was awarded the “Best Quality Leadership Award” by the European Society in Las Vegas.
Civil Aviation Training College, Allahabad
The Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) is a unique training establishment with reference to Infrastructure, laboratories, training facilities and simulators of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The college was established in 1948 and is located at Bamrauli, Allahabad. It was established under the then Civil Aviation Department of the Government of India.
It imparts training as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards in ATM and CNS maintenance and operations.
Fire Service Training Centres
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has established two Fire Service Training Centres. One is in New Delhi, and the other one is in Kolkata.
The objectives of these training establishments are:
- To offer exceptional Fire Fighting and Rescue Service in crisis.
- To give response training for rescuing firefighters in a critical situation.
- To update the professional mastery and knowledge of firefighters.
- To fulfil the shortage of skilled fire personnel.
- To create interest in the fire services in human behaviour.
National Flying Training Institute
Out of the 9 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy from around the world, two Pilot Training Centres are located in India. One is at Rae Bareilly and the other at Gondia.
CAE Rae Bareilly
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi, also known as the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy of Rae Bareilly, works on the highest standards and produces newly-trained efficient pilots. Established in 1985, CAE managed Rae Bareilly academy is dedicated to providing high-quality training and improving flight training standards for aspiring pilots from India and around the globe. The Rae Bareilly academy trains around 300 cadets on a modern aircraft training fleet every year.
CAE Gondia
Established in 2007, National Flying Training Institute (NFTI) or CAE Gondia is a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and CAE.
NFTI’s pilot training programmes provide high quality and focused ab initio training to aspiring airline pilots. Their programmes comprise premier ground school courses with high quality flying instruction. These courses follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) standards.
On completing the programme successfully, the cadet pilot receives a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a Multi-Engine Rating (ME) and an Instrument Rating (IR).
Their training resources comprise:
- Modern Training Fleet
- Advanced Flight Simulation training devices
- Well-equipped Classrooms
- Extensive Online Training materials
- Highly experienced and dedicated instructional Academy management team and staff
Conclusion
The Airports Authority of India has successfully established training centres to cater to airport development requirements. These training establishments train personnel to carry out airport-related activities smoothly and efficiently. With eight new academies sanctioned by AAI, India will become a global flying training hub. Here we covered elaborated details on the training establishments of AAI or Airports Authority of India. Hopefully, you find the content informative and knowledgeable. Next, we will be looking into some frequently asked questions regarding our topic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on September 23, 2015. It was the second time an Indian Prime Minister had visited Ireland. The first being Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit in 1956. Ireland is an island nation located in Northwestern Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, had hosted PM Modi during his visit. The PM was attended by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, and Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Feilim McLaughlin. The main aim of the visit was to create stronger ties and improve trade and cultural relations. Described below is the impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Impact on trade and commerce
India and Ireland have strong bilateral trade and business relations. Before the PM’s visit, trades with Ireland were valued at €650 million in business in 2014. This included exports worth €248m and imports worth €402 million.
The indigenous exports increased from €32 million in 2012 to €55 million in 2014. In 2019, the total bilateral trade was around €1.2 billion. The exports and the imports have also increased to €636 million and €480 million respectively. Currently, the total trade between India and Ireland is valued at €4.2 billion. This resulted from improved bilateral ties between the two nations, owing to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland.
Indian Companies in Ireland
Many Indian companies carry out trade and commerce in Ireland. They provide services to Irish markets and consumers across various industries. Pharmaceutical giants such as Reliance Genemedix and Amneal Pharmaceuticals operate in Ireland. Major IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and HCL also have a strong presence in the country. The trade relations were bolstered after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland.
Other companies like Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fasteners, Jain irrigation systems, and Shapoorji Pallonji provide consumer goods and services. Likewise, many Irish companies conduct their business in the Indian market. These companies include pharmaceutical and nutrition players like ICON and Glanbia, IT firms like Globoforce and other companies like Keventer, CRH Taxback Group, and Connolly Red Mills.
Impact on Education
Ireland has been a coveted destination for higher education for Indian students. Over 5000 Indian students have enrolled for higher studies in various institutions in Ireland. The students are admitted to engineering, technology, medicine and management colleges. More than 30 research agreements have been signed between the two nations that allow institutes in both countries to collaborate.
Many reputed institutes like Trinity College, Dublin, and Thapar University, Patiala, have signed MOUs for engineering and science disciplines programmes. Thus, Ireland is an essential collaborator in graduate and doctoral research. This collaboration is also considered an impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Indian Community in Ireland
Ireland is diplomatically significant for India also due to the large number of Indian citizens residing there. The Indian origin population is approximately 45,000 people, of whom 18,500 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The majority of the residents are working professionals employed in engineering, healthcare and management positions.
It has helped in establishing many policies for the Indian origin population. Two such policies in practice are wearing hijab as a part of the police uniform and the non-requirement of obtaining an additional work permit for the spouse or the partner of Critical Skill Employment Permit holders.
Cultural Impact
As a result of a large population of Indian origin citizens in Ireland and the relationship between the two nations, Ireland promotes Indian culture in various forms. One such example is the celebration of Diwali in Ireland since 2008. The event is organised every year in collaboration with Irish and Indian committees.
Further, an annual contemporary film festival is also a part of the celebration of Indian culture. The promotion of such events indicates the importance of cultural exchange between the two nations. The Irish communities also take a keen interest in conventional practices such as cultivating and consuming Indian herbs and spices. This connects the agricultural practices between the two nations. The cultural ties between the countries were strong, and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped strengthen them further.
Another significant practice is the celebration of International Yoga Day in Ireland. The Irish communities have accepted Yoga as a form of a healthy lifestyle. The practice is similar to the Indian tradition.
Tourism
India attracts around 44,000 Irish tourists every year. Indian tourists too visit Ireland in similar numbers. This was facilitated by the introduction of the common British-Irish visa scheme. This scheme allows the tourists to visit the U.K. and Ireland under one visa, rather than applying for two separate visas. It is valid for short stays. India also extended its Electronic Tourist Visa facility to Ireland to digitally facilitate visa approval and generation. The impact of the PM’s Ireland visit was such that it has also helped establish the tourism sector in both countries.
Conclusion
The diplomatic ties between Ireland and India have been impacted positively after Prime Minister Modi visited Ireland in 2015. It was an essential step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between these two nations. India and Ireland have been important to each other since the 1900s.
In 2010 and 2017, two honorary consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata. Later in 2019, a formal and fully functional consulate general in Mumbai. Ireland and India have also shown their allegiance to fighting terrorism after the Pulwama attack. India has also hosted several Irish dignitaries on various occasions. These visits were directed toward engagement in business, education, health and tourism.
Further, many agreements were signed to provide opportunities for employment to people of both countries. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped revive relatively stagnant relations between these two nations. Several cultural and historically similar instances bind these two nations. From Yeats and Tagore to cricket and Diwali, the cultural semblance between these two nations has helped create a strong tie between them.
