Kurnool to host Andhra Pradesh’s first pilot training centre as teacher hiring irregularity surfaces

Kurnool is preparing to launch Andhra Pradesh’s maiden civilian pilot training centre, a Rs 100 crore facility built to international standards by a Mysuru-based aviation academy, marking the city as a rising hub for professional training. In the same period, an irregularity came to light in the district’s education sector, with the District Education Officer confirming that a teacher had been recruited under the sports quota without the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test certificate.

Andhra Pradesh’s maiden pilot training centre set to open in Kurnool

Andhra Pradesh’s first civilian pilot training centre is set to launch in Kurnool in the near future, according to sources from the aviation academy behind the project. The facility has been developed by Orient Flights Aviation Academy, a Mysuru-based institution, at an investment of Rs 100 crore. Designed to provide flight training that meets international standards, the centre has been built in compliance with the norms set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the apex aviation regulatory body in India. The launch of the facility is expected to open aviation career pathways for students from Andhra Pradesh who would otherwise have to travel to other states for certified pilot training programmes. Kurnool’s selection as the site for this first-of-its-kind facility in the state reflects the city’s growing profile as a destination for large-scale institutional investment following the restructuring of state capital arrangements in Andhra Pradesh. Orient Flights Aviation Academy specialises in commercial pilot licensing programmes and the Kurnool centre is positioned to serve aspiring aviators from across southern Andhra Pradesh. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the city’s ambitions as a regional centre for specialised professional education and technical training, complementing other infrastructure investments in the region. [5]

🎓 Teacher recruited without mandatory TET certificate under Kurnool sports quota

A teacher in Kurnool district was recruited under the sports quota without holding the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test certificate, the District Education Officer confirmed in a report published by The New Indian Express in early September 2026. Prescribed recruitment norms in Andhra Pradesh require candidates selected for teaching posts under the sports quota to possess a valid TET qualification, the same standard applied to teaching recruits across all categories. The DEO’s confirmation of the violation raised questions about the oversight mechanisms in place during the recruitment process, as the absence of a critical qualification should have been identified before the appointment was finalised. The TET is a nationally mandated certification designed to ensure a minimum standard of pedagogical competence among school teachers, and its absence from a recruit’s file constitutes a clear procedural lapse. Depending on the findings of the inquiry that followed, the irregularity could affect the teacher’s continued employment. The report prompted scrutiny of how the appointment cleared multiple layers of administrative review without the qualification gap being detected, and authorities were expected to examine whether comparable omissions had occurred in other recent sports quota appointments across Kurnool district. [6]

Sources: [5] ETV Bharat · [6] The New Indian Express