The record issuance of Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPLs) also comes at a time when the country’s civil aviation sector is rapidly recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and domestic air traffic is approaching pre-pandemic levels.
According to a senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 1,081 CPLs have been issued in 2022 as of December 6, with the number expected to exceed 1,100 by the end of the year.
According to the data, this is also the highest for any year since 2011. The DGCA has issued over 25,000 pilot licences to date, with an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 active pilots. According to the senior official, 9,000 to 10,000 of them are flying commercial planes.
According to the most recent data from the civil aviation ministry, domestic airlines carried over 4.14 lakh passengers on December 10.
In addition, airlines, including the recently launched Akasa Air, are expanding their operations in response to rising travel demand.
