Jet, AI seek more time to replace expat pilots

New Delhi: Domestic carriers Jet Airways and Air India have asked the aviation regulator for more time for replacing expat pilots with locals.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), responsible for formulation and enforcement of civil air regulations, had asked all airlines to replace foreign pilots by July 31 as the slowdown in the sector had rendered several domestic pilots jobless. The airlines want at least two more years to carry out the change.
In a recent presentation to the aviation ministry, Jet Airways said that the airline would be left with no option but to ground 28 aircraft if it had to phase out its expat pilots in the next six months. The other major carrier Air India has argued that it may have to face pilot shortage at senior commander level once the delivery of B787s begin next year, if it lays off foreign pilots.
A government official told ET that DGCA had done a study in September last year and estimated a shortage of about 355 pilots at the senior level in the country.
Indian carriers employ over 600 expat pilots for their domestic and international operations.
While there is a shortage of pilots at commander level, nearly 3,000 fresh pilots are unemployed in the country. The government’s directive to phase out expats had come in the face of widespread unemployment of commercial pilot licence (CPL) holders due to a slowdown in the aviation sector. It takes nearly 4-5 years to train a co-pilot into a commander with flying experience of about 2,800 hours.
The slowdown, which started in the end of 2008, forced carriers to prune capacity and hence the demand for co-pilots plunged.
10/02/10 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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