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77-year-old Bengaluru flying school to restart after years of uncertainty
The Congress government under Siddaramaiah had mulled expanding the runway by three acres, before proposing to shift the 77-year-old Government Flying Training School from Jakkur to Mysuru aerodrome.
he DGCA had not renewed its certificate for the 77-year-old pilot training institution, considered one of the oldest in the country, after the validity of the previous approval ended in December 2023. (Photo credit: Facebook)
The Government Flying Training School at Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru is set to restart pilot training operations after nearly three years, following fresh approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The civil aviation regulator has issued a five-year certificate of approval, allowing the 77-year-old institution to resume courses including student pilot licence, private pilot licence, and other flight training programmes.
The certificate, issued on July 16, will remain valid until July 15, 2031.
The approval comes after a period of uncertainty for the flying school, as DGCA had not renewed its training certification after the previous approval expired in December 2023.
The delay had raised concerns over the future of one of India’s oldest flying schools.
The Karnataka government under Siddaramaiah had considered expanding the Jakkur runway by three acres before proposing to shift the facility to Mysuru aerodrome. It had to back out of the move following opposition from aviation experts and heritage conservationists, who alleged that the relocation was linked to real estate interests.
The government had argued that shifting the school would enable high-rise construction around Jakkur, where building height restrictions currently apply due to aviation safety norms.
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Established in 1949 on land donated by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the school can now train candidates for student pilot licence, private pilot licence, commercial pilot licence, flight radio telephone operator licence, single-engine and multi-engine aircraft training, as well as instructor training programmes.
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