India Advances FTO Ranking System with Second DGCA List

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the second list of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved Flying Training Organizations (FTO), marking the second phase of a national ranking system aimed at improving pilot training standards.

The list was published for the first time in October 2025 and has now been updated.

The updated rankings feature for the first time, two Indian FTOs - Avyanna Aviation Pvt. Ltd and Academy of Carver Aviation, in the Category ‘A’ ranking.

None of the Indian FTOs had achieved this rating in the initial ranking list published in October 2025.

The latest assessment also shows an increase in the number of FTOs in Category ‘B’ with a corresponding reduction in Category ‘C’ ranked FTOs.

The FTO ranking system is designed to standardise training quality across DGCA-approved FTOs. It uses a data-driven evaluation model intended to enable objective comparison and continuous performance monitoring of FTOs.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the introduction of the ranking system would enhance the global competitiveness of Indian FTOs by encouraging them to align with international benchmarks and would

also promote self-reliance in pilot training with a call for ‘Train in India, Fly in India’.

The ministry estimates that India will require 30,000 additional pilots by 2040.

Since the rankings were first released in October 2025, training flying hours have increased from 32% to 50%, FTO fleet sizes have expanded and the time required for cadets to complete flying requirements for a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) has decreased.

In parallel, the DGCA has digitized the CPL examination and introduced a single approval mechanism for both CPL and Radio Telephony Restricted (RTR) licenses.

CPL issuance has grown by more than 2.5 times in the last eight years, with record numbers reported in 2024 and 2025.

To support capacity growth, MoCA has approved six new FTOs over the past 18 months with six more are in the pipeline.

The Government has also introduced policy reforms to grow flight training in India, having liberalized FTO policy, abolishing airport royalties and rationalizing land rentals.

April 2026 Indian Approved FTO Ranking

Category ‘A' FTOs

1. Avyanna Aviation Pvt. Ltd

2. Academy of Carver Aviation

Category ‘B' FTOs

3. FSTC Flying School Pvt. Ltd.

4. National Flying Training Institute Pvt. Ltd.

5. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi

6. Flytech Aviation Academy

7. Skynex Aero Pvt. Ltd.

8. Garg Aviation Ltd.

9. Chetak Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

10. Chimes Aviation Academy

11. Dunes Aviation Academy

12. Ekvi Air Training Organisation Pvt. Ltd.

13. Jet Serve Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

14. Alchemist Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

15. Ambition Flying Club

16. Orient Flight Aviation Academy

17. The Bombay Flying Club

18. The Gujarat Flying Club

Category ‘C' FTOs

19. Sha-Shib Flying Academy

20. Indian Flying Academy

21. The Madhya Pradesh Flying Club

22. Wings Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

23. Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy

24. Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation

25. Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology

26. Telangana State Aviation Academy

27. Nagpur Flying Club

28. Banasthali Vidyapith Gliding & Flying Club

29. Bihar Flying Institute

30. Patiala Aviation Club

31. SVKM NMIMS Academy of Aviation

32. Blue Ray Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

33. Pioneer Flying Club Academy Pvt. Ltd.

34. Govt. Aviation Training Institute

35. Redbird Flight Training Academy Pvt. Ltd.