The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation met today in Mysuru, Karnataka. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol.

Members of Parliament Shri Gopal Jee Thakur (Darbhanga, Bihar); Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre (Akola, Maharashtra); Ms. Sayani Ghosh (Jadavpur, West Bengal); Shri Kamakhya Prasad Tasa (Kaziranga, Assam); Dr. M. Dhanapal (Rajya Sabha, Tamil Nadu) and Shri Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute (Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra), along with the Mysore MP Shri Yaduveer Chamaraja Wadiyar attended the meeting.

The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation met outside Delhi for the first time since 2017, under the leadership of Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu, reflecting the Government’s approach of taking discussions closer to the regions. At today’s meeting in Mysuru, the Committee discussed the Next Phase of UDAN, reforms in the Flying Training Organisation (FTO) ecosystem and the transformation of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA).

Addressing the Committee, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu said that India’s aviation growth is increasingly moving beyond major destinations and beyond just development of airports. “Driven by  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of UDAN, aviation is increasingly becoming an engine of regional development and inclusive economic growth; benefiting farmers, exporters, businesses and communities. At the same time, India is leading the next wave of aviation innovation through drones and eVTOLs, while advancing reforms in sectors like MRO & Air Cargo.”

Highlighting the transformation brought about by UDAN, the Minister said, “In the last ten years, we invested around ₹10,000 crore in airport development and Viability Gap Funding for the airlines. We are now taking this ambition to a new scale with unprecedented award of ₹28,840 crore under the Next Phase of UDAN.” The Committee was also briefed on reforms in the FTO ecosystem to enhance the availability of trained pilots while maintaining high standards of safety and training.

The FTO ecosystem has expanded from 32 FTOs in 2020 to 41 in 2026, while flying bases have increased from 32 to 63. The FTO ranking framework launched under the directions of Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has enabled transparent accountability of the FTOs, enabling the youth to take informed decision at the first step of their pilot career.

Highlighting the opportunities in the aviation sector, the Minister said, “Indian airlines have placed aircraft orders on a scale unprecedented anywhere in the world. But aircraft orders are only one part of the story, these aircraft will need a skilled and safetyconscious workforce to fly them. We do not want to import the workforce to operate India’s aviation growth. We want to train that workforce right here in India.”

The Committee also discussed the transformation of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) with substantial increase in aircraft utilization, averaging 1,765 flying hours per aircraft annually higher than the global benchmark of around 1,500 hours. The institution has also achieved a budget surplus for the first time after more than two decades of recurring deficits.

Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri Samir Kumar Sinha; Director General, DGCA, Shri Vir Vikram Yadav; Chairman, Airports Authority of India, Shri Vipin Kumar; Director General, BCAS, Shri Rajesh Nirwan; and other senior officials were present to brief the MPs. Minister appreciated the valuable suggestions of the Members and assured that these would be duly considered while taking forward the initiatives for the continued growth and development of the civil aviation sector.

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Divyanshu Kumar