As many as seven major Indian airlines and several smaller airlines with a fleet of over 400 aircraft carry over 70 million passengers annually on scheduled services. Apart from this there are as many as 500 private aircraft operating as non-scheduled and charter services in India. All aircraft operated by Indian airlines and registered in India are required to be maintained to the highest standar
ds as laid down by the Director General of Civil Aviation. The Director General of Civil Aviation is part of the Govt. of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and is responsible for ensuring all aspects of safety in aircraft operations in India. The regulations of the DGCA require that every aircraft undergo a maintenance checks and be certified as being fit to fly before each and every flight takes off. Such maintenance checks and certification needs to be undertaken only by an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) duly licensed by the DGCA. In order to obtain a license from the DGCA, an aspiring engineer is required to pass a series of examinations conducted by the DGCA. The School for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (SAME)once it is completed and receives DGCA approval aims to provide such aspiring engineers with the necessary education, including class-room training, practical knowledge, skill and on the-job-training that would enable them to appear successfully in the examinations conducted by the DGCA, and/or to obtain employment in aviation industry. AME’s
The AME plays a vital role in the aviation industry to ensure that aircrafts are highly maintained and serviced to the standards laid down for airworthiness and highest safety. In the course of their duties AME’s are responsible for servicing and maintenance of the aircraft which includes repairs, replacements, overhaul and inspection of the aircraft, aircraft components and other related items of equipment. The aviation and airline industry in India is expected to continue to grow rapidly, and the numbers of modern aircraft flying in India is expected to increase. As a direct result, the need for more AME’s will continue to be felt, as airlines and other aircraft operators will require skilled and licensed engineers to maintain and service aircraft.
