Bangalore to host 1st aviation varsity

SYDNEY: The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) and the Subramanya Construction and Development Company (SCDC) on Monday signed a joint-venture agreement to set up the world’s first integrated aviation university and training campus in Bangalore.TheSydney-based CAPA, a provider of industry research and analysis, and SCDC, aBangalore company, will invest $125 million to develop CAPA AeroPark on a50-acre site by 2012. The fully developed campus will have state-of-the-artacademic facilities together with full flight simulators, a flying school,engineering workshops and laboratories, research centres, accommodation forstudents and faculty, recreational facilities, a hotel and a conventioncentre."This facility is in response to a felt need for trained aviationpersonnel in India given the rapid growth that is envisaged in India’saviation industry over the next few years. It further enhances the growingAustralia-India trade and investment relations," consul general of India inSydney Amit Dasgupta said.India has been one of the fastest growingaviation markets, with demand for skilled personnel expected to triple over thenext decade. Even conservative projections estimate India will emerge as thethird largest aviation market in the world in the next 15years."There is an emerging global shortage of skilled humanresources in the industry, which is particularly acute in rapidly emergingmarkets such as India and neighbouring regions. The aviation industries in Indiaand the Gulf alone are expected to see investment in excess of $200 billion overthe next decade and availability of skills is critical," said CAPA groupexecutive chairman Peter Harbison.