The French defence and aerospace company Thales on Friday received an order valued at $60-million to supply advanced flight simulators to an Indian firm, Rudradev Aviation, a news report said.
In all, four simulators would be configured for European-made Airbus and United States Boeing aircraft, R Ravi, chief executive officer of Rudradev Aviation told the Ians news agency after signing the agreement with Thales.
”We hope to train around 800 to 1 000 pilots a year and largely help the country meet the acute shortage of pilots,” Ravi said at Aero India, India’s biggest air show, in the southern city of Bangalore.
Chris Gene, vice-president of the Thales simulation business, said his company was the largest supplier of such equipment in India and had so far obtained orders for 10 flight simulators.
India’s aviation needs are great. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said it will need 1 500 to 2 000 aircraft over the next decade to meet the demands of its booming civil aviation sector.
Officials estimated the cost of procuring the aircraft at $75-billion and said the Indian government is modernising several airports in the country to cater to the surge in air travel. – Sapa-DPA