Indian FTOs urge Odisha Government to relax ₹100 crore turnover condition to bid for running Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre

Indian FTOs seek relaxation in Odisha bidding process for Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre due to pandemic losses.

“Indian Flight Training Organisations (FTO) have urged the Odisha Government to relax the condition of having a turnover of more than ₹100 crore in the previous three years to qualify in the bidding process for running the Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) in Dhenkanal district,” an official said.

The Indian FTOs while attending the recently held pre-bid meeting with the Odisha Government’s Transport and Commerce Department, pointed out that none of them could qualify for the bid as all domestic FTOs suffered huge financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The last three years turnover also included the pandemic period,” they said.

However, when contacted, a senior official said the State Government was yet to take any decision in this regard. The Odisha Government has already floated a tender for selecting an Operating Partner (OP) to run the Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre in Dhenkanal.

The aviation centre aimed to train youth from Odisha and place them in the mainstream activities in the aviation sector such as pilot and cabin crew. The State Government has also earmarked an airstrip in Birasal in Dhenkanal district for creating the infrastructure at a cost of ₹562 crore.

The infrastructure will include 53 trainer aircraft and three simulators besides a fully-developed airstrip, hangers, service buildings, student hostels and others. According to sources, four Indian FTOs are keen to participate in the project but are not able to bid as their turnovers in the previous three years are less than ₹100 crore.

The Odisha Government in a resolution notified on March 12, 2024, said that India faces a pressing need to consistently produce 2,000 pilots annually over the next 20 years to meet the escalating demand for airline pilots. However, existing flying schools can only produce 900-1,000 pilots annually, resulting in a significant shortfall.

Director General of Civil Aviation records indicated that approximately 42% of commercial pilot licenses issued are to cadets trained in foreign flying schools. “The proposed BPAC project aims to bridge this gap by training about 500 pilots annually at full potential stage, potentially revolutionising the aviation sector in the country,” it said.