New Delhi: Nearly four months after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the operations of Redbird Flight Training Academy, the future of students enrolled as Trainee Pilots hangs in uncertainty as they await a response from DGCA and the flying school.
In October 2023, the DGCA suspended the operations of Redbird Flight Training Academy at all bases after finding deficiencies at the company as aircraft from the academy were involved in two crash-landings.
"We have been waiting for months for any update either from Redbird or from DGCA. We are being given assurances that the operations would begin soon but nothing has happened," a trainee pilot enrolled at Redbird told ETV Bharat on the condition of anonymity.
"Redbird charges Rs 40-50 lakhs for the course and it takes a total of 200 hours for the completion of flying training. My parents have already paid 12 lakhs and I have completed 37 hours of flying. The situation is so difficult now if we move on to some other FTO (Flying Training Organisation) with our flying experience, they will charge more and take advantage. This is a bad time for us. We have no other option but to wait."
Another trainee pilot who also did not wish to be named said: "My father is a retired government officer. We are under a lot of pressure as my parents have already given Redbird around Rs 17 lakh. It's been four months since the DGCA suspended its operations and since then, we are sitting at our homes and awaiting a positive response. Every time we ask our academy about the date of resumption of training, we are told it will happen within a week."
About moving to other FTOs, he said, "The other FTOs are taking undue advantage. If I have the experience of 50 hours of flying here and I decide to move to another FTO, they are charging more. Ultimately, it's the students who are suffering."
Shelka Gupta, Head Drone Training & VP of New Business at Redbird Flight training told ETV Bharat that "RedBird had an estimated 450 plus students till October last year. "After the October incident, some left the training school (depending on their urgency of finishing flying training). We too have assisted them by clearing their dues. We are hopeful to resume our operations soon once the process of recertification is completed," Gupta said.
A top official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation said: "We are processing it and it's under scrutiny (referring to the re-certification of Redbird Academy). A few students have already left Red Bird and moved on to other FTO."
It is pertinent to note here that in October last year, RedBird Flight Training Academy, the country’s largest flying school, saw two accidents in two weeks at its Baramati base due to engine failure. This sparked a lot of controversy following which the aviation regulator DGCA ordered the suspension of flying training due to the school’s “failure to ensure proper maintenance of aircraft for safe flight operations” and recertification for its maintenance facility.
During the same time, the aviation ministry suspended Captain Anil Gill, former director of the flying training department of the DGCA for alleged corruption. Gill was accused of taking aircraft as bribes from flying training schools in exchange for favourable audits. Gill, it is alleged, would then lease these planes to other training schools.
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