Aeronautical engineers’ training: PIA to set up 12 training centres across country

PM’s adviser on aviation says flag carrier faces shortage of qualified engineers

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will set up 12 training centres across the country offering courses and imparting training to aeronautical engineers.

After inaugurating a training centre here in Rawalpindi at the PIA booking office, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem said that the establishment of training centres aimed at fulfilling the growing needs of the national carrier. He said that training and courses will be conducted by national and international aeronautical engineering experts.

Azeem said that the national carrier was facing a shortage of qualified engineers in the field and a decision has been taken to further hone the skills of the existing staff.

On the importance and scope of the subject, he said that the demand for aeronautical engineers has increased manifold in the international market and foreign students prefer to get admissions in related academic programmes.

“But in Pakistan, students take little interest in the field due to its limited scope. Unfortunately, since independence we have only produced 2,800 aeronautical engineers,” he said.

He said that the training centres will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment which will be run by experienced trainers. “The Rawalpindi training centre will train around 1,200 aeronautical engineers annually. Other centres will also produce enough number of the engineers that will not only benefit the national aviation department but also help overcome unemployment in the country,” the PM’s adviser said. While talking about a bailout for PIA, he said that the government had approved a package worth Rs16 billion that would include debt servicing and leasing of new airplanes. He said that services of the national carrier have been improved with the induction of new planes.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2014.