Turkey’s flight simulator developer and manufacturer, HAVELSAN, has announced its entry into the Indian aviation market through a partnership with the French-origin pilot training firm Simaero. This collaboration will see HAVELSAN exporting its aircraft simulator to India for the first time. Simaero is currently establishing its inaugural simulator training facility in India, located near Delhi International Airport. Expected to be operational by the end of the first quarter of the upcoming calendar year, the facility will house eight simulators, with the HAVELSAN-manufactured A320NEO simulator being the first to become functional. Mehmet Akif Nacar, Chief Executive Officer of HAVELSAN, noted that this marks the company’s first export outside Turkey. He added that HAVELSAN has been supplying simulators for eight years to clients such as Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, and the International Flight Training Center. He expressed optimism about sustaining operations in India, given the rapid growth of its aviation sector and the increasing demand for cost-effective pilot training solutions, especially from low-cost carriers. Simaero’s training centre is being developed with an investment of $100 million. In addition to the A320NEO simulator, the facility will include simulators for other widely used narrow-body aircraft, such as the ATR 72-600 and Boeing 737. Khushbeg Jattana, General Manager of Simaero India, highlighted the unprecedented growth in India’s aviation sector, driven by enhanced regional connectivity and record orders for single-aisle aircraft, including the Airbus A320 family. He stated that the partnership with HAVELSAN is the first step in meeting the country’s rising demand for pilot training. India’s aviation sector is on a significant growth trajectory, with local airlines having placed orders for more than 1,000 aircraft. This is expected to drive the need for more pilot training facilities. Jattana further mentioned that as Indian airlines begin to introduce wide-body aircraft into their fleets starting in 2026-27, Simaero plans to expand its infrastructure to include wide-body simulators. Additionally, Simaero has committed another $100 million to establish two satellite training centres in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, aiming to cater to the growing demands of India’s aviation industry.