The Odisha government has decided to set up a Rs 562-crore aviation training centre to meet future demand for pilots and skilled personnel in the sector, a minister said.

A proposal to set up Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) at Birasal airstrip in Dhenkanal district was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The proposed centre will provide training for pilots, simulators and cabin crew, Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The training centre will be established in accordance with the Civil Aviation Policy-2022 of the state government, he said.

India faces a pressing need to consistently produce 2,000 pilots annually over the next 20 years to meet the escalating demand, and the aviation training centre aims at creating 500 professionals annually, an official said.

The proposed training institute will significantly benefit the local economy and support the growth in the tourism and hospitality sector, the minister said.