- by Philip Smart
India’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics in Jaipur has signed a deal with South Australian transport industry recruitment company Natwide Personnel, which will see 40 Indian commercial pilot candidates train with Aerostar Aviation at Parafield Airport next year.
The deal follows a sister-state agreement signed between South Australia and the Indian state of Rajasthan, designed to boost business and investment opportunities in the areas of sport, education, and services.
Natwide Personnel Managing Director Bernard O’Hara said the agreement offered an alternative route where Indian students could receive unique pilot training.
“The South Australian conditions are perfect for flight training and we probably have more suitable flying hours than most other places in the world,” he said.
O’Hara said the proximity of Adelaide’s CBD to the airports and its affordable living costs also made it a highly attractive training destination. He believes the Indian students will benefit from the international experience.
“We are hoping to blend new students in with the Aussie students because there is a lot to gain from having a mixed culture while they’re out there doing the training.”
The city is already a key destination for Indian students, who make up more than 10% of the 32,000 international student enrolments in Adelaide each year.