India is now entering the new phase of growth in its civil aviation industry with the vision of increasing its airport network to over 350 airports within a year 2047 which was announced by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, at the World Economic Forum, Davos. The country has 164 airports at present and hopes to have 50 more within the next five years with the bigger target being met by the time the country celebrates its 100th year of independence.
This plan belongs to the larger initiative of India to enhance connectivity in the region, help in economic development of different states and to keep pace with the increasing demand on domestic and international air travel markets. The aviation market in India is already among the most rapidly developing across the globe, with the number of passengers increasing by about 10-12 percent annually and the airlines ordering close to 1,700 aircrafts.
This increase in infrastructure and aircraft flow is an indication of vast possibilities throughout the aviation ecosystem – including technical and maintenance professions that will be fundamental to the operation and safety of these new airports and growing fleets.
Expansion of the Airport is a Boost to a New Technical Demand
The proposal to construct 350 airports in 2047 is not only an infrastructure headline, it has far reaching workforce demand implications. An increase in the scope of airports equals to an increase in aircraft operations and ultimately, increase in ground support demands, air traffic management, safety control, and, above all, maintenance activities.
To stay airworthy, aircrafts are serviced with proper technical attention and care, both on the daily routine and the sophisticated overhaul of the aircrafts. With more cities and towns in India being linked to air transport, there will be a need of having skilled technicians and engineers in the network.
It is in this situation that Aircraft Maintenance Engineering comes in. Maintenance engineers are also involved in inspections, fault diagnosis, repairing of systems and certifying regulatory compliance, all these forces pilot aircraft to fly safely in congested metros to budding regional destinations. As hundreds of new airports will be opened and thousands of flights will be performed every day, the number of the maintenance jobs will increase.
The Implication of this Expansion on Students
To students who want to venture into the aviation industry, this airport expansion plan is not just a report of the infrastructure statistics but an actual career prospect. The increasing aviation system will demand the supplies of pilots and cabin crew, as well as the technical professionals, based on the aircraft systems, safety measures, and the regulations. The students studying Aircraft Maintenance Engineering can only gain advantage. This professional field will enable them train to inspect, maintain, and certify aircraft, which will be most important as the airlines and MRO facilities proliferate throughout India.
Those institutions that provide systematic training that combines both classroom and practical training would be in a clear-cut position to equip the students with this need. Students can easily be bred into the working environment through the programs that focus on real aircraft systems, industry standards and troubleshooting, which can be provided by the College of Aeronautical Engineering.
Simply put, the vision of 350 airports by the year 2047 as projected by India does not only map out a roadmap of connectivity, but it also outlines a career roadmap. Aircraft maintenance engineering is a future-proof opportunity to students who are willing to join an active, technologically sound, and quickly emerging aviation ecosystem.
