Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 30 : In an effort to strengthen India's global aviation leadership, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a landmark agreement with the Airports Council International (ACI) to implement the prestigious Airports Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP) in India.
According to AAI, this strategic collaboration marks a "defining moment in India's nation-building journey and reinforces the country's commitment to world-class aviation governance, leadership, and competence-building."
The AAI mentioned that globally, over 1,400 aviation professionals across 120 countries have earned the coveted International Aviation Professional (IAP) designation. With 173 IAPs already from India, the country is steadily emerging as a key contributor to global aviation leadership. The AAI-ACI partnership will significantly accelerate this momentum.
Under the agreement, AAI will facilitate AMPAP training for more than 115 additional aviation professionals over the next five years, creating a strong pipeline of globally deployable, future-ready aviation leaders. On successful completion of the programme, participants will earn the internationally recognised IAP salutation, a mark of excellence in airport leadership and management.
The initiative will empower professionals with advanced competencies in airport economics, sustainability, safety, resilience, innovation, and strategic leadership, which are critical as India's aviation sector undergoes unprecedented expansion.
The agreement was formally exchanged between Vipin Kumar, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, and Gurjit Gill, Director of the Global, Airports Council International & International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in the presence of Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation Samir Kumar Sinha and other senior dignitaries during Wings India 2026 at skyline theatre, Begumpet Airport on January 29.
According to AAI, the initiative has been enabled under the leadership of Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who has focused on institutional competence-building and global benchmarking, thereby continuing to transform India's aviation ecosystem.