New Delhi: French aircraft maker Airbus will open its first flight simulator in India at Delhi Airport.

The facility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport will occupy 1.11 acre land and also double up as Airbus India headquarters, according to GMR Infrastructure Ltd-led Delhi Airport.

Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, junior aviation minister Jayant Sinha and Airbus CEO Tom Enders will do the formal ground breaking of the facility on Friday.

A aircraft simulator facility allows pilots to practice his learning offline. A flying school is typically used for actual flying training are located typically away from the airport. Delhi airport said in a statement it will receive annual licence fee from the lease but did not specify the amount.

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Airbus counts Air India, IndiGo, GoAir, AirAsia India and Vistara as its key customers. These airlines have placed orders of over 500 Airbus planes scheduled for delivery over the coming years.

“India’s airlines may need an additional 600-800 pilots per annum for the next few years and are facing particular challenges in recruiting sufficient commanders. This is already impacting expansion plans," aviation consulting firm said in its India outlook in December.

The firm added: “Meanwhile the institutional and regulatory framework at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, is particularly weak and under-resourced. And these issues do not appear to be receiving the urgent attention that they require."

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