Rajkot: More than 10 trainee pilots are undergoing daily training at Gujarat’s first greenfield Rajkot International Airport, which is increasingly emerging as a major centre for pilot preparation. Students from flying institutes in Mumbai, Bhavnagar, Mehsana and Amreli regularly practise take-offs and landings on the airport’s modern 3,040-metre-long runway.

Equipped with advanced technology such as the Instrument Landing System (ILS), night landing facilities and emergency braking systems, the airport provides an ideal environment for aviation training. Training aircraft from the Mehsana Flying Club, Amreli Flying Institute and Bhavnagar Air Academy frequently operate here, while aircraft from Bhuj and Jamnagar Air Force stations also visit for practice. With limited commercial flight activity at present, the airport offers ample runway availability and open airspace for continuous training.

Officials said trainee flights are scheduled between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, and again from 3 pm to 4 pm. Along with take-off and landing practice, pilots are also trained in ground-based navigation and landing equipment procedures. The Airport Authority of India’s fire response unit, capable of reaching the runway within two minutes, further strengthens emergency preparedness training. The airport charges a fee of Rs 800 per flight for training operations. DeshGujarat