‘Aviation not just for the wealthy’: Mann charts new flight path for Punjab

Patiala: Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday outlined an ambitious roadmap to position Punjab as a major hub of the aviation industry, declaring that the era of aviation being a playground for only the wealthy was over.While interacting with aircraft engineers and trainees at the Patiala Flying Club, he said the Punjab govt was building a robust aviation ecosystem by providing quality, affordable and world-class training aligned with industry needs, enabling children of farmers, shopkeepers and teachers to pursue careers once considered out of reach.
Emphasising that his govt's focus was to create job givers rather than job seekers, Mann said the upcoming Aviation Museum at Patiala would not only preserve India's flying heritage but also inspire a new generation to look skyward and aim higher.During a dialogue session with 32 trainee pilots and 72 students from the Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College, Mann said that he was elated to be amongst all the students taking training from this prestigious institute. "Among the 32 trainee pilots, most belong to the first generation in their families entering the aviation sector. In private institutes, it costs Rs 40–45 lakh to become a commercial pilot, while the Patiala Flying Club provides a 50% subsidy, reducing the fee to Rs 22–25 lakh," said the CM.He added that with a reduction of fee by nearly Rs 20 lakh, students from ordinary households like shopkeepers, teachers, farmers, clerks and others could now dream of becoming pilots. "An Aviation Museum is being established at the Patiala Aviation Complex at a cost of Rs 7 crore. This museum will showcase MiG aircraft, second-generation helicopters, simulators, and aviation heritage, providing valuable knowledge to students and the public," he said, adding that on this occasion the department of civil aviation's new website dca.punjab.gov.in had also been launched."The Patiala Flying Club — established in 1965 and spanning 253 acres— ranked seventh nationwide and currently operated seven training aircraft, including five single-engine planes, two multi-engine planes and one Tecnam P2006T purchased from Italy for Rs 5 crore. Facilities included night landing capability at Patiala airfield and training experience at Amritsar International Airport. For students not seeking to become pilots, Punjab govt offered affordable technical education at Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College, which ran India's most economical AME and BSc (Hons) programmes. The three-year B.Sc (Hons) plus three-year Directorate General of Civil Aviation-approved AME programme cost only Rs 3 lakh in total, whereas in other states the same course cost Rs 5–8 lakh," he added.He stated that 33% of seats were reserved for SC and BC students, ensuring that new vistas in this field were opened for the common man.Thr CM said it was a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that more than 4,000 trained professionals from the Patiala Flying Club and College were working in major companies, earning an average starting salary of Rs 1.5 lakh per month.Extending good wishes to the students for their bright and prosperous future, Mann expressed hope that they would carve a niche for themselves in the coming days. He exhorted the youth to stay grounded and believe in hard work as it was the sole key to success, adding that there was a lot of scope for progress and prosperity on this land.MSID:: 126093700 413 |

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