Airline Growth and Pilot Training: CAA at Aviation India & South Asia Summit and Exhibition 2026, Delhi.

How can India build up the training capacity to underpin its aviation ambitions?

This question connected both days of Chimes Aviation Academy's participation at the Aviation INDIA and South Asia Summit & Exhibition, held on 3-4 November 2026 at the JW Marriott, New Delhi Aerocity.

On Day 1, CAA sponsored the keynote interview "Building the IndiGo platform for the next 20 years" with Willie Walsh, CEO of IndiGo, and Mark Pilling, Conference Director of Aviation India. The summit covered topics like airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturing, MROs, sustainability, and pilot training. Across these topics, the main question was how India can turn its aviation potential into real, sustainable, and internationally competitive growth. For a flying training organisation, this is a key issue. Decisions about instructors, aircraft, facilities, and training methods are made long before airlines need new pilots.

On Day 2, our CEO, Y.N. Sharma, joined the panel discussion on "Delivering the training ecosystem to deliver the next generation of pilots for India."

An effective training ecosystem requires experienced instructors, enough aircraft and simulator capacity, reliable maintenance support, and consistent standards. It also needs a strong link between training organisations and the airlines where cadets hope to work.

Mr Sharma talked about the need to keep improving our training programs by working closely with airlines and maintaining strong oversight. At Chimes Aviation Academy, we do this through our partnership with the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program. By collaborating with the airline, we make sure our training matches their needs, and we regularly review the program for improvements. This partnership supports cadets throughout their preparation and helps everyone understand what is expected from both training organisations and airlines.

Technology was another key topic in the training discussions at the summit. Participants talked about using AI to organize training data, spot observable behaviours, and improve training quality. CAA's involvement at the summit showed our commitment to these efforts, both in our own programs and in working with the wider industry.

‍