Did you often use to get fascinated by airplanes in your childhood? Does it feel exhilarating to have a job at an altitude of 39,000 feet from the ground? Although the job roles and lives of the pilot and air hostess seem fancy and uber cool, the career path in the aviation industry is not too straightforward. In this article, Parinita Gupta writes about the aviation careers in India.
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Aviation Careers in India
by Parinita Gupta
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The aviation sector is one of the most attractive and best-paid sectors in the world. Indian civil aviation industry is the third largest domestic civil aviation market in the world. In the last 3 years, it was observed that the Indian civil aviation industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.
There was a huge growth in the aviation sector due to various factors like Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in domestic airlines, modern airports, advanced information technology (IT), low-cost carriers (LCCs). Working in the Aviation industry is one of the toughest jobs in the world. It needs the utmost passion and dedication towards the job and its job role. Aeronautics & Aviation field is also among the top college majors to pursue in 2018.
Aviation Industry in India
According to data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), India’s aviation industry is expected to witness Rs 1 lakh crore (US$ 15.52 billion) worth of investments in the next five years. The Indian Govt. is planning to invest US$ 1.83 billion for development of airport infrastructure along with aviation navigation services by 2026.
In 2003 – 04 India had only 3 domestic airlines with 123 commercial jets. As of March 2018, there are nearly 550 commercial aircraft in operation in India. There has been a huge boom in the aviation industry in India due to the heavy expansion of airlines business in the Asian countries. Aviation Industry in India employs about 7500 pilots every year. Passenger’s traffic grew up by 16.52% and it is expected to increase by 18.28 % which is about $293 million worth in India.
Education, Typical Job Roles, and Salaries in the Aviation Industry in India
A student can join Aviation sector directly with an educational qualification of Intermediate or even as a professional with a professional bachelor’s degree.
- B.B.A. in Airport Management
B.B.A. in Airport Management is a three years course. In BBA, Airport Management course trains the students to take on the Managerial and Administrative jobs in an Airport. A student with a bachelor’s degree can get a job as an Airport Manager, Airport Administrator, Airport Staff Manager, & Safety Officer. Joining in Civil Aviation industry after graduation will get an average starting salary between 3-6 Lakh P/A. The graduates will be placed in major International and domestic airports.
- Diploma in Airport Management
Diploma course in Airport Management is a one year course which teaches the students more about the technical aspects than the management aspects. A student can also opt for this Post Graduate Diploma in Airport Management after the graduation. The student with the Post Graduate Diploma in Airport Management can get into Airport Manager, Assistant Manager, Cargo department Manager. Average salary with this educational background will be between 2-5 Lakhs per annum. The students will be placed in Domestic and International Airports
- Commercial Pilot Training (CPL)
The commercial pilot is one the most glamorous and most rewarding job in the Aviation industry. Apart from the theoretical knowledge, a student must have practical knowledge to become a commercial pilot. A Commercial pilot must have to get a Commercial Pilot license to get a job in the aviation sector. A commercial pilot or Ferry Pilot will have many chances of getting placed in both Governments and Private Airlines & chattered flights.
To be eligible for CPL, a candidate (according to ICAO) should:
- Be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language
- Be Medically Fit
- 10 + 2 (High School) With Physics & Maths Passed
The commercial pilot will get an average salary between 5-12 Lakhs P/A. A commercial pilot can become a Flight Instructor after getting a work experience of 8-10 years.
- Diploma in Ground Staff and Cabin Crew Training
Diploma in Ground Staff and Cabin Crew Training is generally 6 months or 1-year course where the candidates will be trained for various job roles like Cabin Crew, Flight attendants, Part of Ground staff and Front-end Office operators. For these job roles, the average salary package starts at 4-6 Lakhs per annum.
- Diploma in Aviation Hospitality
Hospitality is a sector in the Aviation industry which needs highly qualified and skilled professionals. Diploma in Aviation Hospitality is a one year course where the students will be trained for the job role as Cabin crew, Ground Staff, and Office Operators. An average salary for these roles will be from 4 – 6 lakhs yearly.
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- Aeronautical Engineering
Aeronautical engineering is a complete technical course for complete 4 years. BE/ B.Tech in Aeronautical engineering will completely deal with designing, manufacturing, and maintaining of the aircraft. Graduates with BE/ B.Tech in Aeronautical engineering will get the job roles like Chief Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, Design Engineer with an average starting salary of 3-5 Lakhs annually.
Read: Top Institutes for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in India
- B.Sc. in Aviation
B. Sc. in Aviation is a 3 years Undergraduate Degree program where the student has to deal with the topics like Air Regulations, Navigation, Meteorology, Aircraft and Engine, Air Traffic Control, Aviation Security, Flight Safety and Crew Management. The student can also go with PG courses in Aviation after B.SC in Aviation. There are many jobs for the graduate from Aviation background but mostly they will take over the job roles like Air Traffic Controller, Ground operations staff, Cargo management staff, Ticketing staff etc with an average salary between 2-4 Lakhs P/A.
- Certificate, Diploma or Degree in Air Hostess Training
An air hostess or steward has many responsibilities on a plane. It’s one of the high profile professions in India desired by many young graduates. Air hostess profession is like a dream come true for young girls.
The minimum educational qualification to pursue the Air Hostess course is 10+2. Usually, the duration of a course is 6 months to 1 year but few fast track certificate courses can be just 3 months long.
Here is the list of certificate courses.
- Aviation Management and Hospitality
- Air Hostess Management
- Aviation Customer Service
- Air Hostess Training
- Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant
- Airlines Hospitality
Diploma courses can also be pursued after 10+2. PG Diploma courses can be pursued only after graduation.
The duration of the course is the same as the certificate course.
- Diploma in Air Hostess Training
- Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Management
- Diploma in Hospitality and Travel Management
- Diploma in Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant Training
Degree courses are the most important course out of all three. The duration of the course is 3 years long and you have to be 10+2.
- B.Sc. in Air Hostess Training
- B.Sc. Aviation
- Bachelor of Hospitality and Travel Management
- Bachelor of Travel and Tourism Management
Air hostesses usually earn between Rs 20,000 and Rs 80,000 per month. Domestic airlines pay Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000 and international airlines can pay up to Rs 80,000 depending upon the experience. Some of the top and luxurious international airliners also pay anything between Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000 per month to their senior air hostesses.
- Diploma in Airfare and Ticketing Management
Diploma in Airfare and Ticketing management is a one-year Diploma course which is specially designed for ground level duties in airports. This course can be accomplished in both part-time and full-time formats. The graduates will find the job in Ticketing department where the candidate has to deal with Airline codes, ticketing terminology, Electronic ticketing, Passport and Visas, Foreign Exchange, Airfares and ticketing software.
Other Jobs in Aviation Industry
- Flight and Ground Instructors.
- Flight Dispatchers.
- Aviation Psychologists.
- Aviation Doctors.
- Flight Purser.
Top Aviation Institutes in India and Abroad
- Indian Institute of Aeronautics, New Delhi
- Indian Institute of Aeronautics Science, Jamshedpur
- Indian Institute for Aeronautical Engineering and information, Pune
- A.J. Aviation Academy, Bangalore
- Indian Aviation Academy, Mumbai
- Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy, Hyderabad
- Hindustan Aviation Academy, Bangalore
- Wings College of aviation technology, Pune
- Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics, Ahmedabad.
- Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess, New Delhi & Mumbai
- Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Aeronautics, Jaipur
- Universal Aviation Academy, Chennai
- Rai University, Ahmedabad
- Air Hostess Academy, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai
- Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi
- National Flying Training Institute
- Madhya Pradesh Flying Club
- Ahmedabad Aviation & Aeronautics Ltd.
- Bombay Flying Club
- University of West London
- University of Hertfordshire
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- RMIT University
- The University of Surrey
- University of West London
- CAE Oxford Aviation Academy (Amsterdam, Brussels, Gondia, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Perth, Phoenix and Rae Bareli)
- CTC Wings (Europe)
- Flight Safety Academy (USA)
- Pan AM International Flying Academy
- Singapore Flying College
- Utah State University
Top Recruiters/Companies to work for in the Aviation Industry in India
Aviation industry contributes about $2.7 trillion i.e. 3.5 % of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). World’s airlines carry 3 billion passengers a year and 50 million tonnes of freight and provide 9.9 million direct jobs in the Aviation industry. Such a popular and on-demand industry have many job offers in various Government and Private Sectors.
Top Aviation Companies which are available in India to work in India are Jet Airways, Sahara, Air Deccan, Kingfisher, Air Charter Services Pvt Ltd, Air India, Aviation India, Spice Jet, Go Air Airlines, Paramount Airways, Indigo, Air Charters India, Indian Airlines, Deccan Aviation Ltd.
There are other international airlines which will be operated in India are United Airlines, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Quantas, KLM, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines, China Airlines and many more.
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Author Bio: Parinita Gupta is a full-time banking professional. Additionally, she is also a passionate blogger and digital marketer.
She mostly writes about the Banking & Finance, Technology, and FinTech sector. But, she also enjoys writing on other topics as well. You can follow her on Twitter.