SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Can you please give us an idea of the infrastructure and facilities that you have established so far? What are the expansion plans? What is the contribution and role of Lockheed Martin in this project?

Captain Sanjay Mandavia (Sanjay): FSTC is a state-of-the art pilot training centre set up at Gurgaon, Haryana. The facility is just 25 minutes drive from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. FSTC is the first training centre in North India to meet aviation training requirements. It has been setup with a vision to reduce the financial burden of airlines towards travel, visa and hotel costs and to ensure immediate availability of pilots for operations.

FSTC is a joint venture between an Indian venture capital company floated by Fly Wings Aviation and SIM-Industries, a Lockheed Martin Company. It has the latest Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800 full flight Level D Simulators located at its modern training facility in Gurgaon. The training centre has been established to meet global standards of excellence. There are plans to install six full flight simulators in three stages over the next 18 months. The establishment has six flight simulator bays, of which two are occupied and has land for an additional six.

SP’s: Has FSTC obtained certification from Indian and foreign regulatory agencies? Could you explain how your getting the EASA approval for Airbus A320 simulator will make a difference to your business?

Sanjay: FSTC secured its Type Rating Training Organisation (TRTO) approval in July last year, from DGCA. Recently, FSTC has received EASA approval for its Airbus A320 simulator, making it the only pilot training centre in the region to have this approval.

SP’s: How do you compare infrastructure and costs with other similar facilities in the region?

Sanjay: FSTC is unique on a few fronts. FSTC has broken competition monopoly by introducing Boeing 737NG and Airbus A320 full flight Level D simulators from SIM Industries to customers in the region, with plans to cater to overseas clients as well. With the EASA approval in place, FSTC is also targeting several international airlines and pilots to use their world-class training facilities as these could prove cost effective.

SP’s: By offering simulator training facility in India including type rating training, what kind of savings does a candidate get by not going overseas for training? Are you looking at countries beyond India for potential business?

Sanjay: FSTC caters to CPL holders who seek a self-sponsored type rating either on the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320, most of whom otherwise would have to go outside the country for their rating. This saves the individual costs associated with international travel, hassles with visa and in some cases, the costs associated with accommodation. The same savings apply to airlines as well which actually reap greater benefits.

On top of that, using SIM Industries simulators can allow FSTC to offer competitive rates. Unlike CAE’s simulators which need spares to be procured via the company, SIM Industries’ simulators use several commercial off-the-shelf components, which can be locally procured. With electro-pneumatic actuators and the light weight of the simulator, power consumption is lower, allowing the establishment to keep running costs low.

SP’s: India is expected to acquire a number of narrow-body aircraft in the coming years and as there appears to be a shortage of pilots, could you explain how FSTC can fill the demand-supply gap? What is the current capacity utilisation of your simulator facilities?

Sanjay: In the coming years, India will see huge demand of training for narrow-body aircraft and FSTC will capitalise on this demand. Our centre operates round-the-clock. With our presence in India it will be huge savings for airlines and private pilots. Our simulators are the latest and use third-generation technology, which save on power consumption. Our 737 simulator is the only simulator in the country which supports CAT III B training which helps to land in foggy conditions. In addition, it is the only simulation training facility approved by Boeing to practise radio navigation performance (RNP) approaches.

FSTC’s facility is already being used by airlines such as SpiceJet, IndiGo, Jet Airways, and JetLite to train their pilots. Each aircraft requires ten pilots, and each pilot requires a minimum of eight hours of training per year. With a combined Boeing 737 and A320 fleet in India at close to 400 airplanes, this translates to a minimum 32,000 hours of training per year. In addition, training is also required for the upgrade of pilots, new pilots are employed, some go medically down, while others retire. Many leave India and fly for airlines abroad. The training requirement always exists.

SP’s: What in your view are the weak areas in the Indian civil aviation industry that need to be addressed on high priority by the new government?

Sanjay: As demand for aircraft and trained personnel grows, the already existing gap between demand and supply for training facilities, currently at approximately 50 per cent, is likely to come under extreme pressure. Both government as well as private sector organisations have set up aviation training schools and academies in different parts of the country. As the demand continues to grow, this provides a huge window of opportunity for the private industry which has already established a foothold. There is also opportunity for offering training to the regional airlines and make India into a hub for training.