RAJIV GANDHI ACADEMY FOR AVIATION TECHNOLOGY

Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology (RAGAAT) is a state-owned pilot training institute run by the Government of Kerala, situated within the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport compound, with an off-campus centre at Kannur International Airport. It was originally founded as Kerala Flying Club by G. V. Raja on 14 July 1959, producing trained pilots and flight engineers using aircraft such as the HAL HT-2, Stinson L-5 Sentinel, HAL Pushpak, de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, DHC-2 Beaver, and Douglas C-47 Skytrain. The club briefly closed in 1967 and was renamed Kerala Aviation Training Centre in 1980 before being taken over directly by the state government in 1981. In 2006, following DGCA approval as a Flying Training Organisation, it was renamed Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology. As of 2019, it operates four single-engine Cessna 172 aircraft and a twin-engine Piper Seneca V, housed in its own hangar. The academy offers courses including Commercial Pilot License, Private Pilot License, Student Pilot License, Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Rating, and Foreign License Conversion. It has faced controversies including allegations of casteist assault in 2016 and molestation in 2022.