India's Aviation Workforce Gets a Major Upgrade
India's aviation sector is growing at 10–12% annually, with passenger numbers doubling over the last decade. But behind every flight that takes off on time is a team of maintenance engineers, ground crew, and technical staff — and India doesn't have nearly enough of them.
That's about to change. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop a 3-year B.Sc. program in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME). The MoU was signed by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai and GSV Vice Chancellor Prof. Manoj Choudhury, with Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and K. Rammohan Naidu present at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
Why This Matters
Here's the problem the MoU aims to solve: India has thousands of skilled Aircraft Maintenance Engineers who can strip down and rebuild jet engines — but many of them don't hold a formal university degree. They're trained through DGCA-approved organisations under the CAR-66 and CAR-147 frameworks, which gives them a license but not a degree. This limits their career progression, especially when competing for senior management or international roles.
Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu put it plainly — these AMEs have some of the best hands-on skills in the industry, but without a degree certificate, their growth hits a ceiling. The new B.Sc. program bridges that gap by combining DGCA's regulatory standards with GSV's academic framework.
What the Program Includes
The curriculum will be jointly designed by GSV and DGCA, covering:
Aviation maintenance engineering fundamentals, hands-on technical training aligned with global safety standards, industry-linked apprenticeships with companies already partnering with GSV (including Airbus, Safran, and potentially Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), and research integration for newer technologies like sustainable aviation fuel and advanced MRO techniques.
The program is expected to launch in the 2026–27 academic year, initially at select institutions including GMR School of Aviation and Air India's AME Academy, before rolling out nationally.
The Bigger Picture: India's MRO Ambition
India currently sends a significant portion of its aircraft maintenance work overseas — a massive cost for domestic airlines. The government's push to build domestic MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) capability is a key part of the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" vision for aviation. This MoU directly supports that by creating a pipeline of degree-holding, industry-ready maintenance engineers.
Minister Vaishnaw also proposed setting up a Centre of Excellence for manufacturing technologies at GSV, benchmarked against precision manufacturing standards from Germany, Japan, and the US. The centre would train roughly 1,000 students per year in high-precision skills needed across aviation, railways, and defence.
What This Means for Travellers
More trained maintenance engineers means better-maintained aircraft, fewer delays caused by technical issues, and a safer flying experience overall. As India aims to become the world's third-largest aviation market, investments in the workforce behind the scenes are just as important as new aircraft orders and airport expansions.
If you're planning your next trip, the infrastructure behind your flight is quietly getting a lot stronger. Search flights on FareEagle and see where India's growing network can take you.
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