PATIALA: Declaring that the era of aviation being a playground only for the wealthy is over, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday outlined an ambitious roadmap to position Punjab as a major hub of the aviation industry in the coming years. Interacting with aircraft engineers and trainees at the Patiala Flying Club, the Chief Minister said the Punjab Government is 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 dream of careers once considered out of reach.
Emphasising that his government’s focus is to create job givers rather than job seekers, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Mann said the upcoming Aviation Museum at Patiala will not only preserve India’s flying heritage but also inspire a new generation to look skyward and aim higher.
Interacting with aircraft engineers here on Saturday, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he was elated to be here amongst all the students taking training from this prestigious institute for a dialogue session here at Patiala Flying Club with 32 trainee pilots and 72 students from Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College. “Among the 32 trainee pilots, most belong to the first generation in their families entering the aviation sector. In private institutes, it costs ₹40–45 lakh to become a commercial pilot, while at the Patiala Flying Club, there is about a 50% subsidy, reducing the fee to ₹22–25 lakh, ” said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that Patiala State Aviation Council, Punjab aims to give every child a chance to fulfill their dream of flying high in the sky. “For decades, training to become a pilot was possible only for the very wealthy, but with government support and subsidies, Punjab has broken this barrier through the Patiala Flying Club. The Flying Club was established in 1965 and spans 253 acres, making it one of the largest aviation training campuses in India, ” he noted.
He said that the Patiala Flying Club ranks seventh nationwide and the club currently operates seven training aircraft including five single-engine planes, two Multi-engine planes and one Tecnam P2006T (newly added, purchased from Italy for Rs 5 crore). “The facilities include night landing capability at Patiala airfield and training experience at Amritsar International Airport. The career in aviation is not limited to becoming a pilot as many students want to work in aviation but not necessarily as pilots, ” he added.