Includes Options For Six Additional Aircraft

Diamond Aircraft announced a purchase of three of its twin-engine DA42-VI aircraft by Air India for its new Flight Training Organization (FTO) in Amravati, Maharashtra, representing Diamond’s first engagement with India’s flag airline. The agreement includes options for up to six more of the aircraft.

Delivery of the first aircraft is expected to be in summer of 2025.

Jane Wang, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Flight Ops at Diamond Aircraft Austria, said, “We are thrilled to play such a vital role in Air India’s drive to become entirely self-sufficient in training new pilots for its expanding fleet. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.

“The DA42-VI is designed to make transitioning from single- to multi-engine aircraft training much easier, and Air India’s future cadets will benefit from this. The glass cockpit will help prepare them for their future careers flying large commercial jets.”

The four-place DA42-VI is the company’s latest version of the twin-engine piston aircraft with turbo-diesel engines that burn Jet-A fuel, yielding up to a 50 percent reduction in fuel costs compared with avgas-fueled piston twins.

Air India’s FTO will open in the second half of 2025 as South Asia’s largest flight school, training about 180 pilots per year. It will have classrooms and operations center that are both digitally capable, as well as its own maintenance facility.

Sunil Bhaskaran, Director of Air India’s Aviation Academy said,“We are excited to partner with Diamond Aircraft as we set up India's first airline-owned and operated cadet pilot school. We see this as the beginning of a partnership with Diamond to support Air India's vision to strengthen the aviation training ecosystem in India and become self-reliant.”

FMI:  www.diamondaircraft.com/