DGCA ranking on pilot training, no organisation makes it to top grades

NEW DELHI: No flying training organisation (FTO) in India has made it to the top two categories in the latest ranking announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday. For the first time, the regulator has ranked flying schools based on safety, infrastructure, and the quality of training provided to cadets. The rankings show that 22 institutes were placed in the B category, while 13 were in the C category. Those in the C category will receive notices from the DGCA to conduct a self-assessment. The evaluation covered a one-year period from September 1, 2024, to August 1, 2025. The DGCA has announced that the next ranking will be released on April 1, 2026. The DGCAs ranking system has four categories based on overall scores: A+ for scores of 85% and above, A for scores between 70% and 85%, B for scores between 50% and 70%, and C for scores below 50%. Captain C S Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots Association, told this newspaper that there has been a general decline in the quality of training across flying schools. He also pointed out that infrastructure is lacking and stated that the DGCAs exercise is intended to encourage schools to improve. He added that a trainee spends between `55 lakh and `60 lakh over an 18-month programme to become a pilot, and they must receive proper training for this investment. The evaluation criteria included operational aspects (40%), safety standards (20%), FTO performance (20%), compliance standards (10%), and assistance to standards (10%). Operational aspects considered factors such as the student-to-aircraft and student-to-instructor ratios, fleet size, and availability of ground schools and simulators. Safety standards were evaluated based on the number of accidents and incidents in the past year, with penalties for non-reporting. FTO performance was evaluated based on the average time taken to complete 175 hours of flying time on aircraft, while compliance encompassed observations made during DGCA inspections.