The growth of the aviation industry sector in India looks promising. A strong surge in volume of domestic passengers, growth in domestic tourism and increasing outbound travel from the country are seen as major reasons for the growth, S. Sudalaimuthu, Vice-Chancellor of Alagappa University, Karaikudi, said here on Saturday.
Delivering the graduation day address at the Nehru College of Aeronautics and Applied Sciences, he said the government had also focussed on modernising non-metro airports, opening up new international routes and establishing new airports while renovating existing ones. “The aviation industry encapsulates the development, operation and maintenance of aircraft. While the common perception is that the sector is only about pilots and airhostesses, there are numerous other equally significant job options,” Mr. Sudalaimuthu said.
India would require approximately 8,000 pilots and an equal number of air cabin crew in the current year itself. Aviation sector provided opportunities for commercial pilots, air cargo pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, cabin safety instructors, and maintenance controllers besides various others.
Research indicated that the global aviation industry was poised to grow at a healthy 5.6 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate over the next 15 years.
“While major conventional mature markets such as the United States and Europe may witness a significant fall in the market share from 61 per cent to 52 per cent, emerging markets such as India, China and the Middle East offer a great growth potential,” Mr. Sudalaimuthu said.
While the aviation industry on its own was huge, it also interfaced with many other sectors. Aircraft design, manufacture and maintenance were also big businesses that offered employment possibilities for competent people, he said.
P. Krishna Das, Managing Trustee, Nehru Group of Institutions, presided over the function.
