Kurnool to Host Andhra Pradesh's First Pilot Training Centre
Kurnool is set to become home to Andhra Pradesh's maiden pilot training centre, a Rs 100 crore facility built to international standards by Mysuru-based Orient Flights Aviation Academy. On the same day, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the city to attend the wedding reception of a former local MLA's son.
Andhra Pradesh's First Pilot Training Centre Set to Launch in Kurnool
Kurnool is set to host Andhra Pradesh's maiden pilot training centre, marking a significant development for aviation education in the state. The facility has been built by Mysuru-based Orient Flights Aviation Academy at a cost of Rs 100 crore. According to a report by ETV Bharat published on August 30, 2026, the centre is preparing to launch in Kurnool and will offer training that meets international standards. The facility has been developed in compliance with the norms of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the statutory body that oversees civil aviation safety and training requirements in India. The centre is described as the maiden pilot training facility in Andhra Pradesh, meaning that aspiring pilots in the state will for the first time have access to a locally based, professionally accredited institution without having to travel elsewhere. The Mysuru-based Orient Flights Aviation Academy is the developer behind the Rs 100 crore project. Kurnool, located in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, has been attracting investment across infrastructure and services, and the arrival of this aviation academy adds a notable new dimension to the city's development profile. The launch is expected to create new pathways for students pursuing careers in commercial aviation and to help address growing demand for trained pilots across India's expanding civil aviation sector. [2]
🗳️ Jagan Mohan Reddy Visits Kurnool for Wedding Reception of Former MLA's Son
YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Kurnool on September 3 to attend the wedding reception of the son of former Kurnool MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy. According to a report from ANI published on September 1, 2026, Jagan Mohan Reddy was scheduled to arrive in Kurnool at around 11.30 am. The reception was held at St Joseph's College Grounds in the city. During the visit, he blessed the newlywed couple and conveyed his best wishes to the family before leaving Kurnool and returning to Tadepalli. The visit came alongside renewed political commentary from Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the Veligonda irrigation project. He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of attempting to claim credit for the project's completion, asserting that the vision for the Veligonda project belonged to his late father, former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He further stated that during Naidu's previous eight years in power, only Rs 10 lakh was spent on the project — primarily on the foundation stone ceremony held in 1996 and the arrangements for the associated public meeting — and that the project was not advanced even a single step during that tenure. Jagan credited the YSRCP government with completing the project's critical twin tunnels. [7]
Sources: [2] ETV Bharat · [7] indiagazette.com