Civil aviation refers to the non-military flight activities conducted by the private and commercial sectors. Commercial civil aviation covers all types of air transport; it can be fully owned or co-owned by the government and/or the private sector. When flight activities are meant for personal pursuance it is referred to as private civil aviation.

Civil Aviation is generally divided into:

• Scheduled Air Transport: It includes all passenger and cargo flight operations conducted on regularly scheduled routes
• General Aviation (GA): It includes all other civil flights, private or commercial.

International civil aviation standards are managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It is a specialized agency of the United Nations and most of the countries in the world are its members. All the signatories are required to work in harmony and standardize the use of airspace for the safety, efficiency, and regularity of air transport. Each signatory country has its own Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which looks after personnel licensing, flight operations, air traffic services, etc.

• Civil Aviation in India
• Aviation Industry in India
• Civil Aviation Institutes
• Civil Aviation Courses
• Civil Aviation Careers

Civil Aviation in India

The Indian Aviation Sector can be broadly divided into the following main categories:

• Scheduled Air Transport: Air transport services provided on a scheduled or on a timetable basis, from one destination to another or multiple destinations, is known as Scheduled air transport. It includes domestic airline operators like GoAir etc. and international airline operators like IndiGo etc.
• Non-scheduled Air Transport: Air transport services provided on a charter basis and/or non-scheduled basis is known as Non-scheduled air transport. The operator of such an airline is not permitted to publish time schedules and issue tickets to passengers. It includes charter operators and air taxi operators.
• Air Cargo: Air transport services provided on a scheduled or non-scheduled basis are known as Air cargo. These operators operate mostly within India and require specific permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for operation outside India. Its services include air transportation of cargo and mail.

Civil aviation in India comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is responsible for the formulation of national policies and programs for the development and regulation of Civil Aviation. It is responsible for the administration of the Aircraft Act, of 1934, Aircraft Rules, of 1937, and various other legislation pertaining to the aviation sector in the country. The Ministry exercises administrative control over attached and autonomous organizations which looks after its functions.

Autonomous Organisations and Public Sector Undertakings

• Air India Ltd.
• Airports Authority of India
• Air India Charters’ Limited
• Aero Club of India
• Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation
• Hotel Corporation of India Ltd.
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy
• National Aviation Company of India Limited
• Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited

Aviation Industry in India

Civil Aviation Sector in India is broadly subdivided into 3 structures that cater to different areas.

These 3 Structures are:

• Infrastructural: Airports Authority of India and other Private Airport Developers provide infrastructural facilities.
• Operational: Air India, Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited, and other scheduled/non-scheduled Airline Operators perform operational functions.
• Regulatory-cum-Developmental: Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security perform safety and security regulatory functions.

The picture of the civil aviation industry is dull and bright at the same time. The dullness comes from the huge debt burden that the Indian Airline Industry suffers from. 2011-12 estimates show a debt of about US $ 20 billion. Competition in the domestic market amongst the airlines and the high operating costs are affecting financial stability. The international scenario doesn’t suffer from these glitches and is in a better position. The quality of education is another agenda that dogs the industry. The infrastructure facilities provided by the aviation institutes do not fully meet the requirements of the industry. There are very few programs offered by the institutes and the prevalent courses lack depth. The lack of skilled manpower is another grim situation.

There has been a global economic slowdown since 2008 and it has affected the economies worldwide. It is here that the brightness of the civil aviation industry comes into view. The civil aviation industry in India contributed 1.5% GDP in 2009 and it offers 9.95 million jobs which are inclusive of its contribution to tourism. As per 2011 estimates Indian Airlines provided their services to 54 million domestic passengers and 38 million international passengers. India has risen to become the 9th largest civil aviation market in the world. Apart from this, International cargo accounts for two-thirds of the total cargo handled. This business is undertaken at metro airports like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. A lot of new developments are being taken by the ministry of civil aviation such as the modernization and up gradation of airports. Strategic alliances for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) have been facilitated by Air-India JVs with Boeing and Airbus, GMR-MAE, HALTIMCO, Air France KLM-Max Aerospace, etc.

Civil Aviation Institutes

There are a number of institutes, some of which are private, government, and recognized by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation which provides civil aviation training.

Some of the Prominent Ones are:

• CATC - Civil Aviation Training College, Allahabad
• CATC - Civil Aviation Training College, Hyderabad
• IGRUA - Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy
• NIAMAR - National Institute of Aviation Management and Research
• Centre for Civil aviation training, New Delhi
• Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Karnal
• Flytech Aviation Academy, Secunderabad

Civil Aviation Careers

As mentioned earlier, there is an acute shortage of skilled manpower in this sector which makes civil aviation a good choice. The growth in the aviation industry has initiated a lot of employment opportunities and this is one of the reasons that careers in aviation in India are pursuable. The overall growth of the Indian economy, the rise in income of the citizens, and the growth of the middle-class population are the other factors that show a green signal. Careers in this sector are provided by the below-mentioned airlines and the above-mentioned civil aviation organizations. Some of the major jobs include Air Pilot, Cabin Crew, Aircrafts Engineers, Technicians (MRO), Ground Handling Staff, Cargo Handling Staff, Administrative Officers, and Sales Staff. After getting the requisite training and obtaining the necessary license one can apply for the job of a commercial pilot. With the privatization, a lot of avenues have opened for Commercial Pilot Holders. They can find employment opportunities in both governments (Air India) as well as private domestic and international (Jet Airways, Sahara, etc.) airlines. The job of a Commercial Pilot is itself an exciting and glamorous job.  The job of the commercial pilot is also highly rated and full of adventure. This highly specialized job requires knowledge of air navigation, interpretation of meteorological reports, operations of sophisticated electronic and mechanical controls, leading the aircraft under adverse circumstances, and being a leader to the flight crew and passengers under climatic and other emergency situations.

Air Hostesses for female candidates and Flight Attendants for male candidates are the other options in the Civil Aviation Industry. These attendants on board are considered one of the most important crew members on a flight. These are the people who are in direct contact with the passengers. They are the face of the aviation company, they are working with. Thus the reputation of the company depends upon them.  To become an Air Hostess or Flight Purser the interested candidates should be at least +2 with pleasing personalities and excellent communication skills.  Higher education and knowledge of more languages can be an added advantage for candidates seeking to join civil aviation.

Operational Indian Airlines (with headquarters) as of 2018

• Air India, Mumbai
• Air India Express, Kochi
• Air India Regional (earlier Alliance Air), Mumbai
• Blue Dart Aviation, Chennai
• Club One Air, Delhi
• Deccan 360, Bangalore
• Deccan Aviation, Bangalore
• GoAir, Mumbai
• IndiGo, Gurgaon
• Invision Air, Mumbai
• Jagson Airlines, Delhi
• Jet Airways, Mumbai
• Jet Konnect, Mumbai
• JetLite  (earlier Air Sahara), Mumbai
• SpiceJet, Gurgaon
• TajAir, Mumbai
• Quikjet Cargo Airlines Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore