Pilot exodus: Kingfisher is short of 35 pilots

New Delhi: Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is flying into turbulence. More than 150 of its pilots have left in the past year-and-a-half, citing various reasons. Even though others have joined, the current shortage is estimated at 35 pilots, forcing the airline to ground some of its aircraft, cancel leaves of flight commanders, and put senior executives from the operations department on flying duty.
In the same period, Kingfisher’s rival, Jet Airways, lost 35 pilots.
Kingfisher has 618 pilots. Kingfisher’s Airbus A320 fleet, which constitutes about a third of its 66-plane fleet, has been the worst hit by the pilot shortage.
“The airline is facing a shortage of at least 35 pilots in the Airbus A320 fleet,” a Kingfisher executive said on the condition of anonymity. Another said the airline had told the pilots they should go on leave only if absolutely necessary. It has put at least 12 senior executives from the operations department on the flying roster to bridge the gap in the cockpit. In other airlines, senior executives from the operations department are required to fly only once a month to retain their flying licence.
Another Kingfisher executive said the airline had been forced to ground some of its aircraft owing to the pilot shortage.
06/08/10 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard