Media Release
March 16 2008
Australian partnership puts more Indian pilots in the sky
The
international pilot shortage may soon have less bite in India thanks to
a new agreement between the
University of South Australia (UniSA) and PSG Institute of Advanced
Studies in Coimbatore, India.
UniSA will sign and MOU with PSG Institute on Monday March 17 that will open up specialist aviation training in Adelaide for graduates from Bachelor of Applied Sciences programs at PSG.
The signing will be witnessed by Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann and Tamil Nadu Education Minister Dr Ponmudy at 10.30 March 17 at Madras University.
UniSA has developed an arrangement with PSG to offer successful graduates the option of coming to UniSA to undergo flight training and obtain their Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in Australia.
UniSA Pro Vice Chancellor Development and International Dr Anna Ciccarelli says the worldwide pilot shortage is a problem increasingly recognised by the commercial airline industry as one set to make a huge impact in the short term.
“Unless we can get the numbers of both qualified pilots and qualified pilot instructors up, there will be serious shortfalls,” Dr Ciccarelli says.
“This has been keenly recognised by both educators and the airline industry in Australia and I know that India’s Minister for Aviation Praful Patel has stated that on present growth rates India will need about 5,000 additional pilots for scheduled operations in the next five years, with a further 1000 needed for non-scheduled and private operations.
“The demand is huge and this significant educational collaboration with India will help to meet it.”
Dr Ciccarelli says forward planning by the South Australian and Tamil Nadu governments has helped bring about strategic developments such as pilot education initiative.
“This is a tangible outcome of the highly successful and strategic visit to Adelaide last year by a Tamil Nadu education delegation. That visit was enthusiastically supported by the SA Government and UniSA and we are now seeing the rewards for both India and Australia.”
Media contact
- Michèle Nardelli office +61 8 8302 0966 mobile +61 (0) 418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au