Aviation Life

Event Round Up

Giving wings to careers

Soaring ahead, at the 23rd convocation ceremony of the Speedwings Aviation Academy over 200 students stepped out to make careers in the world of travel and aviation. By Andrea Lopez

The surge in travel and aviation related careers doesn't seem likely to tide over in the near future and every training academy is determined to outdo the other by promoting its own unique selling point. One such academy is Speedwings Aviation Academy. Established in 1995, the academy offers UFTAA and IATA recognised courses in both the travel and aviation sector. The academy introduced seven new IATA courses at the start of 2007 and the tally of courses now stands at 23, ranging from airline call centre training to handling of dangerous goods, as well as courses in computer reservation systems. Courses span six months except for the one year intensive PG Diploma in the airline and airport handling management. The recently concluded 23rd convocation in Kochi saw 350 students being awarded diplomas in their respective fields of study. Present at the occasion were Sunil Chopra, India manager, IATA, Birger Backman, special advisor UFTAA, Vinod Gupta, managing director, Prima Travels and the institute's CEO, Biji Eapen. The courses are specially tailored to equip students with skill based knowledge. "The industry is looking out for specialists who have practical knowledge. We at our institute provide students training from the grass-root level," said Eapen. He also added that the current scenario in the industry was that a majority of young people were opting for cabin crew training, resulting in an even larger demand for other positions like handling of dangerous or sensitive goods.

Birger Backman, special advisor, UFTAA said, "The tourism industry is evolving everyday and to live up to the changes we need young people who will carry the industry forward. We are pleased that more institutes are emerging to produce professionals to cater to the increasing demand." Speedwings recently signed a contract with Amadeus to offer training in reservation systems and to issue certificates on behalf of Amadeus and is the only institute in India authorised to do so. Eapen is of the opinion that this is an excellent opportunity for students to understand how central reservation systems (CRS) work. "Today, GDS systems have become indispensable to a travel agency; it is best that students understand how to man these systems before they are employed."

Guests speak

Complimenting all meritorious students, Backman also shed some light on UFTAA's impending plans for the travel fraternity. UFTAA has recently introduced an online search engine that acts like a discussion forum for all member travel agents. "The idea is to keep travel agents competitive in the market," he says. UFTAA is also in the process of updating its courses so that they are on par with the industry. Says Backman, "The way travel agents operate today has changed drastically. There was a time when travel agents functioned much like waiters did, taking orders from clients, but today with infinite options available, they should be competitive enough to offer holistic travel solutions. In short, nothing less than the best. Our curriculum is being re-modeled on these grounds and should be ready by the end of the year."

Sunil Chopra, IATA manager, India, added to the institute's repute by saying, "India contributes 30 per cent of the international revenues of IATA in terms of training. Speedwings is doing an aggressive job by adding 350 new IATA agents every year." He also went on to address some pressing concerns that IATA as a body was addressing. Apart from the aggressive lobbying to introduce e-ticketing in all airports across India, IATA has also been looking at introducing bar coded boarding passes to enable faster check-in as well as introducing radio frequency technology to track misplaced baggage. IATA also aims to introduce e-freight in the country in an attempt to eliminate the need to produce and transport paper documents for air cargo shipments by moving to a simple hassle-free electronic method. "The initiatives have all been conceived to cut industry costs. 20 years ago it took almost seven days to send a shipment internationally, today, it still takes six days," said Chopra. If the industry moves to e-freight by 2010, it would be saving US$ 1.2 billion per year.

All speakers complimented the institute for its highly professional approach in training students and ended on a positive note; that institutes through the supply of adequate manpower are meeting industry demands. The event wound up with a spectacular performance by students, showcasing the traditional dance forms of Kerala.