Airbus invests in India: New Flight Academy with Air India and Civil Helicopters Final Assembly Line

When it comes to investing in India, both Airbus and Boeing continue to invest and source from the nation. For instance, most forward doors for the Airbus A320 aircraft have been supplied by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for many years. Recently, Tata Advanced Systems Limited won a contract for cargo and bulk cargo doors from Airbus. Another Bengaluru-based firm, Dynamatic Technologies, has been awarded the contract to supply doors for the A220 aircraft. There have been some significant developments, enough for Airbus to bring its Board to India to showcase its new investments in the country. Airbus hosted its Board Meeting in India for the first time, with all top executives, including CEO Guillaume Faury, in attendance.

Airbus and Air India launch a new pilot training facility for A320 and A350 Aircraft.

When Air India placed its mega order for 470 aircraft, one part of the agreement also included co-investing in an aviation academy where Air India would train future pilots. Such a deal was struck with both Boeing and Airbus. This past week, on September 30, 2025, Airbus and Air India inaugurated their academy, which will host both A320 and A350 simulators. The academy is a 50:50 joint venture between Airbus and Air India, with both Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, and Airbus’ Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Aircraft, Christian Scherer, present. This benchmark facility will train over 5,000 new pilots within the next decade.

The new 12,000m² centre will be equipped with 10 Full Flight Simulators (FFSs), along with classrooms and briefing rooms. The facility is designed to train pilots for the Airbus A320 and A350 aircraft families. The courses are approved by both the DGCA and EASA.

Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, said,

Air India is in an expansion mode with 570 new aircraft on order and the new pilot training centre at our Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, a part of which is being executed with Airbus, will help train and upskill pilots who will fuel Air India’s ambition of becoming a world-class airline. This facility is a major step forward in our transformation journey and in making Air India and the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant. With our partners Airbus, we are playing our part in building the aviation infrastructure that India needs as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.

Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said,

We are very proud to partner with Air India and the Tata Group on this critical infrastructure project. The inauguration of the training centre is a testament to our shared vision for the future of Indian aviation. This is more than a joint venture; it is a strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry itself. India is a critical base for Airbus, and this state-of-the-art facility is a testament to our belief in its immense potential.

The Gurugram facility will complement the four A320 Family FFSs at the existing Airbus India Training Centre in New Delhi, which is a part of the Airbus regional HQ, which was inaugurated last year. Together, these two hubs will house a combined total of 14 FFSs. IndiGo also has its own FFS, as well as a JV with CAE and operates its own training academy.

Airbus and Tata Group to Assemble H125 Helicopters in India

But that was not the only announcement in the week gone by. It has been well known in the aviation circles that Tata and Airbus would put an FAL in India for helicopters. On October 1, 2025, the announcement was made about where.

India’s first helicopter Final Assembly Line from the private sector, to be established by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to build the Airbus H125 helicopters, will be located in Vemagal in Karnataka. The ‘Made in India’ H125 helicopter will help develop new civil and para-public market segments and also meet the Indian armed forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter, especially on the icy heights of the country’s Himalayan frontiers. Plans include a military version, the H125M, to be produced at this Indian factory with high levels of indigenized components and technologies.

The delivery of the first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected in early 2027. The helicopter will also be available for export in the South Asian region. Airbus India’s earlier President and Managing Director, Remi Maillard, was the driving force behind bringing the FAL to India.

Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said on the occasion,

India is an ideal helicopter country. A ‘Made in India’ helicopter will help develop this market and position helicopters as an essential tool for nation-building. We are extremely glad to be adding this new chapter to our multi-faceted relationship with our trusted partners Tata.”

Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, said,

Tata Advanced Systems is proud to be the first private sector company in India to build helicopters. This will bolster both civil and defence requirements. This is our second FAL in collaboration with Airbus and further reinforces the partnership between Tata and Airbus for India. Tata Advanced Systems is well placed in the Indian aerospace sector with capability to build and deliver fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters for the nation’s requirements.

Airbus’s relationship with India began more than sixty years ago on the back of an industrial collaboration agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. These helicopters have served the Indian armed forces with distinction. The H125M is an ideal successor to these helicopters.

The H125 FAL is the second Airbus aircraft assembly plant that Tata Advanced Systems is building in India, after the C295 military aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat – demonstrating Airbus’ long-term commitment to developing a holistic aerospace ecosystem in India across all dimensions: manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, design, digital and human capital development. Airbus sources components and services worth approximately USD 1.4 billion every year from India, including complex systems such as aircraft doors, flap-track beams, and helicopter cabin aerostructures.

Bottomline

It was an excellent week for Airbus in India, to fly down their entire Board to conduct official business in India, as well as have them as a part of meetings with the Government of India, the German Ambassador to India, and the inauguration of their JV with Tatas for the Training Centre and their Final Assembly Line for the H125 helicopter in India over a 4 day trip. Also talks about the market potential of India, given it is one of the top markets in the world for Aviation (behind the US and China).

What do you think of Airbus hosting its executives in India and the marquee projects?

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