Flying Training Organisations are regulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Aircraft Rules, 1937, require that the flying experience required for issue of private pilot and commercial pilot licenses shall be acquired only at DGCA-approved FTO. At present, there are 41 DGCA-approved FTOs with 63 bases in the country. Of these, IGRUA at Amethi (UP) is under the Central Government, nine are under State Governments and 30 are owned by the private sector. DGCA issued 1652 CPLs in 2025. IGRUA, established in 1986, is India’s largest FTO, located at Amethi (UP). It completed a total of over 11031 flying hours in FY 2024-25 and 13503 Hours for FY 2025-26. Indian aviation sector stands out positively, with women constituting 15 per cent of the country’s pilots.
DGCA processes:
• DGCA follows a five-phase certification process for setting up a FTO to check all laid down rules and regulations.
• Introduced Online on Demand Examination (OLODE) for AME and flight crew candidates with effect from November 2021.
• Flight Training Circular (FTC) 01 of 2025 pertaining to visibility criteria for FTOs has been published to ensure uniform applicability.
• Modified regulations to empower Flying Instructors with the right to authorize training operations at FTOs.
Brief on Flying Training Organisations & DGCA Processes
