Aviation upgrade: IndiGo to roll out evidence-based pilot training; aims to boost skills, safety and decision-making
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline by market share, plans to introduce evidence-based training (EBT) programmes for its pilots as part of its efforts to enhance their skills, situational awareness, and decision-making capabilities, a senior company official said.The airline, which currently operates over 2,300 daily flights and has a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, is in the process of expanding operations with the induction of wide-body planes and has a pilot strength exceeding 5,300, PTI reported.At present, IndiGo follows a Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) framework, which the airline aims to evolve into a fully EBT-compliant system over the next 12 to 18 months.“When you become CBTA-compliant, you eventually end up, once you mature, becoming EBT-compliant,” the official told PTI. “Right now, we are baselining CBTA. With all the data we have and with the help of global best practices and expert consultants, we aim to reach the EBT stage.”The shift to evidence-based training will involve the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence to design and refine training modules derived from operational data. “We will first collect and validate all the data, and then base the training programme on that evidence,” the official explained.Under EBT, pilot training will focus on core competencies, including decision-making, situational awareness, communication, and crew resource management, with a goal of improving overall flight safety.IndiGo plans to leverage its large operational dataset to identify training needs and design customised learning programmes for different pilot groups.“The earlier we can get it, the better it is, but of course it will take a year, year-and-a-half to do EBT,” the official added.With more than 900 aircraft on order, IndiGo expects its pilot strength to double by 2030, underscoring the need for modern, data-driven training systems that align with global aviation safety standards.
