Where you train matters. Weather decides how many days you can fly, airport traffic decides how long you wait on the ground, and distance from home decides what you spend on living costs. Here is where DGCA-approved flying training organisations (FTOs) actually fly.
Schools by state
Counting every state where a school lists a flying base in DGCA’s list (a school with bases in two states counts in both), the picture is:
- Maharashtra: 9 schools
- Madhya Pradesh: 7
- Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka: 5 each
- Telangana and Gujarat: 4 each
- Rajasthan and Haryana: 2 each
- Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Kerala, Bihar, Punjab and Odisha: 1 each
These counts come from the 41 organisations in our flight school directory, built from DGCA’s list of approved FTOs (2 December 2024) and the April 2026 DGCA ranking.
Why Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra lead
Training needs airfields that are not crowded with airline traffic and weather that allows flying on most days. Central India offers many smaller aerodromes and long dry seasons, which is part of why so many schools fly there. Coastal and northern bases can lose days to monsoon or winter fog, which can stretch a course.
One school, several bases
Thirteen schools in our list fly from more than one base. Redbird Flight Training Academy lists five, and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi lists three in three states. Ask which base you will fly from, and whether you might be moved during the course.
Choosing a location
- Ask how many flying days the base averaged last year, month by month.
- Check how much airline traffic shares the airport.
- Price accommodation and food, not just flying hours.
- Look at the school’s DGCA ranking. Filter by Category A, B or C.
Next, read how to choose a DGCA flight school and how to become a commercial pilot in India.
Common questions
Which state has the most flight schools in India?
Maharashtra, with 9 DGCA-approved flying training organisations flying there, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 7, based on DGCA’s lists.
How many DGCA-approved flight schools are there?
AIR BITOLA lists 41 organisations from DGCA’s lists, of which 35 were ranked in April 2026.
Does the training base affect how long a CPL takes?
Yes. Weather, airport traffic and aircraft availability at the base decide how many hours you can fly each month.
Sources
- DGCA ranking of Flying Training Organizations (April 2026)
- PIB, 24 April 2026: second phase of FTO ranking
General information, checked against the sources above on the date published. It is not legal, regulatory or medical advice. Rules change, so confirm with DGCA or the relevant authority before acting.