Airlines face pilot shortage, industry short of 300 pilots now

New Delhi: The country’s airlines have drawn up ambitious expansion plans against a brightening backdrop, but are confronted with a severe shortage of experienced pilots. Industry estimates peg the shortage at 300 at present, but the number will swell to nearly 700 once a government order that bars expat pilots takes effect from next July.
A beefed-up fleet size is certain to amplify the shortage. The number of aircraft operated by low-cost carriers such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir is estimated to more than double to 130 in five years. Full-service players such as Jet Airways, Air India and Kingfisher Airlines that together operate nearly 350 aircraft, too, are expanding. Jet, the country’s biggest private airline, plans to increase capacity by 15% this year. Air India has ordered 28 Dreamliners due for next September.
For the aviation sector, 700 is a weighty number given that an airline requires 10 pilots per aircraft.
Whether the government enforces its deadline remains to be seen, the way out for airlines is to increase hiring. Indeed, there is a huge pool of trainee pilots to fill vacancies. But hiring in the aviation sector is different from any other in that only those who have had at least four years of flying experience can become captains. In India, there has always been a dearth of pilots at this level. The influx of expats into the Indian aviation scene was spawned by this shortage.
The problem has been accentuated by a dearth of commanders and veterans who can train the recruits. Hiring and training in this category took a backseat during the slowdown and that is hurting airlines now.
18/09/10 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.