NEW DELHI: Eight accidents involving planes of flying training organisations happened in 2022 and investigation related to one accident has been completed so far, according to the government.

At present, there are 35 Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) operating at 53 bases as approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said there were a total of eight accidents in 2022 involving FTO aircraft. Probe into the accidents are carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

As per data provided by the minister, the investigation into the accident at Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru that happened on April 21, 2022 has been completed. A Cessna 185 plane was involved and the operator was Agni Aero Sports Adventure Academy (P) Ltd.

Singh, in another written reply, said in June 2022, six FTO slots were awarded by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at five airports Bhavnagar (Gujarat), Hubballi (Karnataka), Kadappa (Andhra Pradesh), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu). In 2021, AAI awarded nine FTO slots at five airports at Belagavi (Karnataka), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and Lilabari (Assam).

These slots were awarded after a competitive bidding process. The minister also said there is no shortage of pilots in the country and as many as 1,165 Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPLs) were issued by the DGCA last year.