Govt to airlines: Make room for desi co-pilots

New Delhi: A majority of the 134 foreign co-pilots working with Indian carriers could soon be packing their bags and returning home from June onwards.
In the strongest message to desi carriers to protect interests of hundreds of young Indian students who have spent lakhs to become a pilot and now find it hard to get a job, the government has attached conditions for airlines wishing to hire new foreign co-pilot or extend the service of those on their rolls.
These pilots have foreign licences and need an Indian validation from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to work here.
Now airlines will have to give a induction and training plan for desi commercial pilot licence (CPL) holders for an Indian validation or extension of the same. Failing to do so, will mean sending them back. According to highly placed sources, some Indian carriers hire Indian CPL holders but don’t provide them further training to get type-rating to fly an A-320 or Boeing 737 for long times. The reason: a weak Dollar has made it cheaper to hire trained co-pilots from abroad.
DGCA chief Kanu Gohain has now linked the extension of expat co-pilots’ foreign licence Indian validation (a must to work here) to their employer airline giving a training programme for desi CPL holders.
16/03/08 Times of India