“Ivalo padichittu enga parakka pora (where will you go after studying so much),” her family and neighbours would say whenever she expressed a desire to go to college. Because, says Deepa Selladurai, in Karipatti village in Salem, where she grew up, being a woman only meant getting married and raising a family.
But Deepa did not let these taunts clip her wings. “Instead, I decided to do what they said. I decided to fly,” says the 22-year-old Global Aviation School student who is training to become a cabin crew member. She worked on film sets in makeup, direction, acting and modelling to save money for her certification course. Deepa believes the course is worth the investment as she is confident she will get a job. “Many people from rural areas are now training for cabin crew and ground staff positions. These pay well and some even aspire to become pilots,” she says.
As major Indian airlines such as Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet and Vistara expand their fleets, the demand for skilled personnel in the aviation industry has increased. This demand is further fuelled by the government’s Udan programme aimed at developing smaller regional airports.
To meet this need, aviation schools in Tamil Nadu are actively seeking students from tier-2 cities, setting up stalls in district colleges, offering scholarships, and giving fee waivers (60% or more) based on high school marks and communication skills. Special provisions are also available for students with single parents. Some aviation schools have now set up offices in the districts. For example, Remo International College of Aviation operates in four districts.
There are now more than a dozen aviation academies operating in Chennai, some for more than two decades, while others have started only in the last few years. The latest is the Global School of Aviation, launched in Alandur in February. CEO P Sriram says that job opportunities in aviation have increased post-Covid-19, requiring more qualified and skilled personnel.
Sriram says, “Aviation schools are targeting tier-two cities like Madurai, Trichy, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur as it makes placements easier. Locals are more likely to work at airports closer to their homes. This gives us an opportunity to better skill people to raise standards at regional airports.”
With the recent expansion of the airline, the demand for staff has increased. “From Chennai alone, around 211 flights operate to other states daily,” says Rithik Balaji, director, Remo. “Consider the numbers. Each Airbus 320 flight requires six pilots and 24 cabin crew members in three shifts. For operations and customer service, a ground staff of at least 24 people per flight handles baggage, ticketing, boarding and security.”
The ground staff is taught general safety, first aid, aviation markings, airport maintenance, load and trim, flight operations, flight safety, air traffic control and fire control. “The cabin crew members are also taught basic flying, including how to control and land the aircraft if something happens to the pilot,” says Hrithik.
In addition, Sriram says airline crews are being trained on how to handle deportees, which has become a common practice. “When a deportee is travelling, the ground staff and cabin crew are trained to welcome them and ensure they are properly handed over to the authorities.”
BB Bero Vincent from Nagercoil, who took a personal loan to pay Rs 1 lakh for her course at Remo, says placements are promised, but they don’t always work out. “I was initially rejected for jobs because of my acne. But when I managed to get rid of it, I got a job. It has been tough.” At Orient Flights Aviation Academy, Preethiksha S from Cuddalore is funding her course through savings, family support and part-time work. Niharika Mishra, an 18-year-old student of BBA Airline and Airport Management in Chennai, came here from Ranchi with a loan of Rs 3 lakh to pursue a career as ground staff.
Industry experts say that despite the hype about the demand, placement rates for cabin crew are low, while for ground staff it is high, around 90%. “The reason for this low placement rate in Tamil Nadu is the tendency of some airlines to hire fair-skinned and Hindi-speaking people. As a result, North Indians are preferred over South Indians. Hence, most people from the South get jobs as ground staff,” says Hrithik.
It can be difficult for pilots too. Hrithik says currently only 30 out of 1,000 pilots find jobs. He says this rate is low because airlines usually require 200 flying hours, but at least 500 flying hours are required to gain expertise, which is expensive. It costs about Rs 40 lakh to fly 200 hours.
“The market for pilots is not very good right now, but it will improve as major airlines expand their fleets. International airlines are also hiring pilots from here, so growth opportunities are certain,” says Giyani Samuel, a BSc Aviation student from Kovilpatti, who is heading to New Zealand for commercial pilot training.
“With the increase in the number of aviation schools across the state, it will be easier for airlines to directly approach schools and hire pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and security professionals, thus ensuring placements,” says SA Nambi, former deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Chennai.
Abel Mathew Prasad, vice-president of Orient Flights, established in 1994, says students need to be cautious. “Be wary of fly-by-night aviation schools. Students should check the institute’s safety record, aircraft maintenance and placements, as well as contact alumni to verify the school’s authenticity.”
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