Indore, Feb 13: The Kingfisher Airlines, India's one of the most preferred airlines, following its tremendous success in its flight services from Indore, plans to start Kingfisher Training Academy in Indore. The branch of KTA in Indore is located at Orbit Mall and will become operational likely by the end of March this year.

Rajesh Verma, chief mentor, Kingfisher Training Academy and E-VP, Kingfisher Airlines, said the main reason behind choosing Indore for the KTA's rollout and strategy, is the immense potentiality of in the aviation sector. Indore is earmarked as one of the airports with the most potential in the next five years.

Being strategically located we will see airports like Indore emerge as huge hubs for passengers and cargo traffic alike, Verma said adding tat traditionally also, this region has provided ready cabin crew and hospitality professionals to the industry. Clearly, the impetus to train and hire crew locally is going to be big, he said.

Kingfisher Training Academy hopes to train at least 3500 candidates over the next three years from Indore. Verma said as Indore is being referred to as the commercial capital of central India, Indore airport is on the runway for accelerated development. Presently, the city has 16 daily flights which is increasing to 26 by summer this year. Air India will also begin its international route from Indore. This is going to open exciting linkages for central India with rest of the country and internationally too. Verma said that Indore also enjoys significance as a tourist hub and at full potential one cannot even imagine the requirement of manpower when leading international hotel chains also come to Indore with new properties

Kunal Vasudev, project head, Kingfisher Training Academy, informed that the first batch of the Kingfisher Training Academy passed out of its Mumbai centre, has been placed successfully in the Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Go Air and the Indian Airlines respectively. In the non-aviation sector, KTA has placed its first batch in leading hotels like JW Marriot, Hyatt, Renaissance and the Taj Group, Mumbai.

He further informed that the KTA has also tied up with leading nationalized banks under priority sector lending norms with a 12 month gestation period. KTA aims to become a preferred centre for students aspiring to be service industry professionals, airlines to outsource their training requirements and also for corporates for their management training programme, Vasudev said adding that the setting up of KTA in Indore will encourage local hiring of cabin crew.