Air India scraps induction of 42 pilots

Mumbai: Air India today scrapped induction of 42 trainee pilots into the company even though the airline is facing an acute shortage of pilots at the senior level and has about 170 expatriate pilots employed on contractual basis and flying as commanders.
The reason given by the carrier, in an e-mail office order dated July 31, is that as the carrier might defer deliveries of the Boeing 787s, the recruitment has to be put on hold.
However, a senior official from the airline said that even if the recruitment was put on hold because of deferral of deliveries of 787s’, the airline already had 178 expatriate pilots who come at enormous costs. “The fact is we even have a shortage of co-pilots and DGCA does not allow you to hire expatriate co-pilots. The shortage (of co-pilots) is such that these expatriate pilots are flying as co-pilots in Air India Express,” he claimed. While an expatriate commander is paid about Rs 5.5 lakh plus hotel bills every month, fresh first officers can be hired for just about a Rs one lakh per month.
05/08/09 Shashank Shekhar/Indian Express