Airbus, GMR ink pact for aircraft maintenance training

The programme, to commence this year, will be open to aspirants who have cleared their Class 12 examination with Physics and Mathematics as main subjects.

Aerospace major Airbus has signed a contract with aviation infrastructure developer GMR Group to provide aircraft maintenance training to engineers at the GMR School of Aviation in Hyderabad.

In a release, Airbus said GMR will be offering a fully integrated Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) licensing programme at the GMR School of Aviation. The four year course will include two years of classroom training and two-year training in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) at GMR Aero Technic here followed by Aircraft Type Training.

As per the contract, Airbus will provide the necessary software and courseware in the form of trainee handbooks, examination database, online access of Airbus customised basic training modules and Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for Academy media package, which is the technical training material required for the courses. In addition, the planemaker will also provide training to GMR instructors along with assessment of the training centre.

“The partnership with GMR represents a significant deepening of MRO capabilities in India that are required to match the tremendous future demand for such services from the domestic aviation industry,” President and MD of Airbus India and South Asia Rémi Maillard said.

The programme, to commence this year, will be open to aspirants who have cleared their Class 12 examination with Physics and Mathematics as main subjects. Setting the backdrop for the programme and the contract is the Airbus Global Market Forecast 2022 that estimates India will require 45,000 new aircraft technicians over the next 20 years.

“The aviation eco-system is evolving rapidly. India is all set to become the largest aviation market by 2030. The increase in air traffic is leading to fast growth in commercial aviation fleet in the country. To cater to the emerging demand and support the industry, there is a need for skilled professionals,” said Ashok Gopinath, CEO of GMR Aero Technic, which is India’s largest integrated world-class third-party MRO located at GMR Hyderabad International Airport.