Air Sahara India [Archive]

A330AV8R

20th July 2005, 21:32

TOMCAT !

It would be a very good deal if you have PIC exp on the 737 series . . . . . a close mate of mine flies the CRJ's with the same company so I can find out all the details for the offer .....

I had the same offer but me's a Busboy 2 my bones !!! there also getting 2 777's but thats wet lease .....

Around 15 to 20 pilots have gone BACK to sahara after leaving for other airlines in the Indian market ... now that really says a lot for the pay structure ....

a good deal if you wanna fly in India .but ya its a hell of a shock if your from woscster Mass !!!!

happy landings !

PS : Lemme know if you want the details !

R8TED THRUST

6th December 2005, 13:19

airfranz I would love the details! I'm thinking of heading over to Air Sahara mysel presently i'm flying as Capt on 737-500
Cheers

Hairy Chest

6th December 2005, 13:59

So whats the xpat deal like at Sahara. franz you get any info? since no one will share the jet airways 340 package.

cheers for any help!

GoForIt

6th December 2005, 17:12

I can't give much specific information, but I did fly as a passenger on Air Sahara from DEL to KTM in late September. I was impressed by the professionalism of the organization. The first airplane we were to board had a mechanical. Within two hours we had a replacement aircraft. In the meantime they brought in snacks for the pax. The airplane was clean and the on board cabin service was above and beyond what we expect in the USA. Seemed like a quality organization.

I did read in the inflight magazine that the owners/management is Sikh, and both pilots wore turbans, which would seem to indicate that they prefer to hire Sikh employees.

GoForIt

rsoman

6th December 2005, 17:29

I did read in the inflight magazine that the owners/management is Sikh, and both pilots wore turbans, which would seem to indicate that they prefer to hire Sikh employees.

***

Oh No, no airline in India can now afford to be choosy in any sense!

Things have reached such a stage that they are reducing the minimum hours to get a license and the maximum age to keep ur licence!

coco-nuts

7th December 2005, 03:31

:ok: rsoman
cheers
coco

Left Wing

7th December 2005, 11:10

Since when did Sahara become a Sikh owned co. and since when did Indian pilots start getting jobs based on their ethnic background?

Sahara Group Chairman is Mr.S. Roy, CEO is Mr. R. Dutta all have origins from west bengal, besides no airline as yet recruits pilots or even ramp staff based on ethnic background.

WHERE DO YOU GET ALL THIS INFO ??
:confused:

coco-nuts

7th December 2005, 11:26

Gents those of you who want to find out what the Sahara deal is like should pm ikan_terbang he has the best deal regards expats that i have seen to date.
cheers all
coco

CFIT

7th December 2005, 14:52

I heard that there's a company called "Airline Design Bureau" that does the hiring for Air Sahara. Has anyone heard anything positive and/ or negative about this agency?

coco-nuts

7th December 2005, 17:17

they are offering three year contracts with Sahara now. Might be worth chekng them out. Never dealt with them so i cannot give you a run down. If anybody out there has please tell us your experience.
cheers
coco

tonylollo

11th December 2005, 03:54

Airline Design Burean?? Who are they. All the hiring is mainly done by Contractair. basically they have used cowboy agencies in the past and as they expand they want to use a professional bunch. A load of B737 Captains are there from Contractair and I heard that the new intake of B767 guys are also from the same Agency....... interesting because for years they used another agency and that has gone quiet it seems. Anyway you can PM me. I dont work there but my good friend is a Check Pilot on the B737 and he seems pretty happy, sure he can answer questions for those who wish.

By the way one thing he did mention they are a bit disorganised so you do need to be with an established agency.......
:D

coco-nuts

11th December 2005, 08:55

I guess Contractair is the preferred way to go then guys. So those of you interested should register on their website. If you have what they are looking for believe me they will contact you within hours!!

cheers
coco

tomcat21

11th December 2005, 17:02

For all you thinking of joining Sahara take it from someone who has worked there DONT!! The B767 is still in AZ, is supposed to be on line by Jan 10th for the UK route, no friggin way!! Like your pay to be late all the time? How about being based in BOM and having to fly to DEL each month to collect your perdiem and then when you get there you dont come home till late that night. That would be no problem except its your day off since at Sahara you fly 6 days a week!! Its great when you take the option to live in the hotel and you get the hotel mngr calling everyday to ask when yur checking out but ofcourse your supposed to be living there right? So you call the co. and "No problem Captain we will do the needfull" yeah right tell me another one. Sahara can be summed up in one word, DISORGANIZED TO THE CORE!! Okay so it was 4 words. Have a nice day!!

CFIT

11th December 2005, 22:29

Wow!!! That sounds awfully terrible TC21. Are you with Contractair or Airline Design Bureau? Looks lke they really don't take good care of you at all! They work you 6 days a week!?!?!? What's the flight time limitations within a 7 day/ 1 month period in India? Or do you just fly a couple of hours a day? Thanks for sharing the information, hope to hear more from your experience over there.

tomcat21

12th December 2005, 00:41

Hey there, flt. limits are 125hrs a month, no more than 6 days in a row, only 30hrs per week, max duty of 11hr a day but can run you over up to a certain amount per month. Airline design beaureau, I have met the guy,he is from California but lives in Thailand. Doesnt advertise but mainly gets people from Asia as he lives in Thailand. I would stay the hell away from Rishworth and definitley Brookfield. Sometimes you dont realize how difficult it can be until your over there. Remember your in their world and they dont give a damn about you. Dont believe me go see for yourself. The only nice thing at sahara is the hostess are friggin hot!!

CFIT

12th December 2005, 23:02

Well, at least there's something good there. Always nice to see pretty faces around the cabin, hope they're friendly too. How are the F/O's and the people around the company? Heard that things are supposed to improve, but I'll see it to believe it. Schedulewise, can you put in a request or have a say in it at all (like fly your a_s off to reach 30 hours in 4 days then off for 3 days), or it's all up to them? Can you swap your flight with the other guys? From the way it sounds, looks like you are no longer there with them. Thanks for the quick reply anyway.

speedtwoten

13th December 2005, 11:56

dear fellow pilot's

what tomcat21 is true, you will regret about Air Sahara, I don't know how they manage to catch pilot's from US to fly the B767 which may not come at all, but for those who's desparately no job are welcome, their F/O has no CRM training, job discription is awfull, I really don't know how an company like this can operate in this world, there is three pilot's from the east europe, two of them never flown NG's before, but manage to be instructors on the NG, and the other one had only less than 500 hrs on the Classic and flown only Rusian aircraft before he's also going to be instructor on NG, so imagine this company will not save the live of their own nationality then how they will save your live???
ADB is also :mad: there is 4-5 pilots from them who's not getting paid so be carefull:{

DON'T for AIR SAHARA

coco-nuts

13th December 2005, 14:37

i can tell you now the Contractair boys are getting their pay on time. Tomcat21 did you apply through Contractair?

cheers
coco

tomcat21

14th December 2005, 15:31

Brookfield, stay away from them!!

speedtwoten

16th December 2005, 05:26

:{ again AIR SAHARA, can you imagine there is a Brazillian pilot who was an instructor in Varig (at least he said so) was failed the check on the NG's, and now fly as line Captain on CL, manage to get paid as instructor, while he was failed the route check in all over the world, so if you want to joint Air Sahara buy now your Instructor/Examiner rating and joint them, easy :confused:

speedtwoten

22nd December 2005, 10:15

:confused: oooboy again AIR SAHARA, they just appointed an Serbian Pilot who's never had any experience in managenement nor flying in Airlines as base manager in Kolkata, what he' doing only arrange a schedule for himself and hi's friends, to get overtime, I heard from many First Officer this will greeting the pax. after landing with hi's own uniform, and hi's going to be instructor in NG with his college a Bulgarian pilot Capt. which use to fly TU or IL only and had 500 hrs in Classic. poor AIR SAHARA anybody can fool this company:{

masalama

24th December 2005, 12:28

speedtwoten ...mate, one thing noticed is u do have an axe to grind against Air Sahara...all posts on Airsahara on other threads have similar warnings hmmmm
this post doesnt make much sense....
"I heard from many First Officer this will greeting the pax. after landing with hi's own uniform"

What is this language...is it some sort of new pilotspeak , R/T shorthand ....God, I'd have a great time deciphering u if I were ur F/O .....lemme guess, after landing he throws his uniform down the aisle to greet passengers....hmmm...unique greeting style ....he must have been an ex- rock band guy or something..:O

I guess college stands for colleague...as for the charge that the guy's fooling the company, bring it up with the fleet manager if u feel that's the case....I've got many friends(locals) flying for AirSahara , they all seem to be fairly satisfied there ...the usual small things that can be fixed at any airline but nothing catastrophic....:*
:confused:

coco-nuts

26th December 2005, 09:35

speedy u gotta spell better than that mate. if you have a problem then take it up with the base manager. i somehow think your biggest problem is the fact that you are not getting paid on time. then i suggest you call that yank in bankok and give him a little piece of your mind... anyway to those contemplating coming to India you have to learn to be patient. just roll with it and guess what ? things happen...albeit on India time....so chill out.

cheers
coco

CFIT

26th December 2005, 10:53

O.K.guys, let me get this straight. So the guys working for this Yank in Bangkok which is obviously "ADB" are not getting paid on time, is that correct? I heard that this fellow monthly deducts $500 from your pay in case you run away or something, however, if you complete the contract, you'll get it all back. With other agencies hiring for Sahara, this is obviously not the case. So, if you do not complete the contract with Contactair or someoneelse , what are the penalties? Is it really that bad in Air Sahara?

Kaptin M

26th December 2005, 12:11

How're they hangin' coco?
Looks as though you've had a BIG change of venue, mate - and reading the post on D&G about Air Nauru, just in the nick.

Congrats on the break out - welcome to the world of contract flying.
If you're on NG's there, there should be something coming up in this neck of the woods before much longer.

Cheers :ok:

CFIT

26th December 2005, 12:57

Kaptin M, G'Day mate. As ANA has ordered a bunch of B737NG's, does it look like they'll be hiring Gaijin to operate this equipment in the land of the rising sun sometime soon?

Kaptin M

26th December 2005, 20:27

G'day CFIT. Skymark have already recruited gaijin for their soon to arrive NG's - JAL will be doing so very, very shortly.
Both through PARC.

speedtwoten

27th December 2005, 04:27

:) masalama, if you have many friend's as lokal's dan you must know this COMMANDER he is the one who breaking the records of flying from KOL to BOM with 0400 flying hours, and if said to solve it out with base manager, he is the one, I suggest you can hear more story about him from he's country mate, I wrote this post just only to heard from everybody are those management Lokals, are so stupid that can be :mad: by only ex taxi driver????

I'm not flying in India nor living there, but I have many friend's Expat or Lokal's who's flying for Air Sahara and Jet Airways, or flying else where in the world but never heard this story before about how is an aviation can run this way:{

Team Player

27th December 2005, 04:40

Anyone else noted speed210's remarkable spelling ability, but unremarkable grammar - his consistencies, coupled with his inconsistencies?

He is, in fact, quite literate, but thinks he's fooling the rest of us.

Who's the REAL fool, speed210?!! :}

mustangV8

27th December 2005, 06:59

man, I hope that's not the way you talk!!

'I wrote this post just only to heard from everybody are those management Lokals, are so stupid that can be by only ex taxi driver????'

Im sorry...but what the hell does that mean??

mV8

on_the_right

27th December 2005, 08:52

guys,

plz dont go out on speed .. certain sections of this forum crowd will come to his rescue by telling u that english is not his first language .. and he doesnt need to spell correctly ..
well ... so much for CRM ... i pity the guys he flies with (expat or local) ...
no offence speed ... could spend ur next vacation taking a few lessons (not flying) ...
cheers

Nevrekar

27th December 2005, 13:42

Just wondering if anyone knew of long term NG contracts in India (with family). I know that Parc/Contractair have 6/12 month deals with Jet & Sahara. Would like to hear from anyone (past or present) who has actually worked for Jet or Sahara and can attest to the working conditions/schedules.

bafanguy

27th December 2005, 15:22

check your PMs.

Kaptin M

27th December 2005, 18:04

check your PMs

That's a really BIG help to anyone else interested in the same question.
Not! :) :mad: :\

If you have a response, post it HERE so EVERYONE gets the benefit of your knowledge.

bafanguy

27th December 2005, 18:15

Well, OK...

Gates & Windows, Chennai, India, email: [email protected] , C.B.Menon. 737-200/800 captains...didn't say for whom.

I didn't feel it was all that much info. Now, how long before someone takes me to task for posting something purporting to be job information but is actually incomplete and probably useless ?

No good deed goes unpunished !!

Kaptin M

27th December 2005, 18:27

Thanks bafanguy :ok:

I didn't feel it was all that much infoMaybe not, but it's enough for anyone interested enough, to start working on.
Cheers :ok:

cognomultani

28th December 2005, 11:24

Hi Guys,

I have received a contract for Air Sahara as B737Capt. and I have some questions
I will post in the forum :
1) In my contract I do not have any specific base

2)Is not mentioned any kind of insurance from the company

3) Is not mentioned if I have any travelling discount going home or
any free ticket.

If somebody working for the company can help me I will appreciate .

Happy new year

Nevrekar

28th December 2005, 13:01

Thanks for the PM Bafanguy

mainwheel

28th December 2005, 18:40

The sub continent and the whole region east and west of are all booming. Opportunities abound. Great!!!

Some airlines prefer to subbie out sourcing of flight/technical staff.

So these agencies come along. They normally have no clue at all about your particular qualifications.

Expect some little hiccups, but if any one agency starts to stand out as a non payer, then they should not be in business.

There is an agency in KL that mainly deal with ground engineers that are somehow still in business. Owe guys all over asia, especially the PI's, and one unlucky bloke in NZ USD$17,000. Heaps of others from other country's.

Non payment of wages owed is, should be, part of your contract. So if it happens, go the the greener side.

Scumbag agencies should be run out of business. No excuses, I assume you know how much they are making, and for what?.

Let the best survive!!!

Wizofoz

28th December 2005, 23:45

Thinking of swapping Sashimi for Jalfrazi kap?

Kaptin M

29th December 2005, 07:24

If they were offering a Delhi basing, I'd have to give it some serious consideration.
I thoroughly enjoyed every layover I did there in my SQ days.

You can stick Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkutta (Calcutta) up your Khyber Pass!

tomcat21

29th December 2005, 11:55

I have worked for Sahara and I would rather go and open a lemonade stand in Baghdad before I went back! Now, does that give you any hints about working there?? If not just know its not worth it, take it from someone who has been there and done that.

relax737

29th December 2005, 21:52

So who IS the best mainwheel??

I know who the worst is/are.

All of them!

Sal-e

30th December 2005, 01:25

tomcat,

pls elaborate. i've just had a friend move there and i hope he's made the right decision. i'm thinking of going there myself.

Sal-e

30th December 2005, 01:31

tomcat,

sounds to me you're the spoonfed type pilot from a developed country. there are a lot of pilots out there who are not like you.

tomcat21

30th December 2005, 02:28

I don't really give a crap what it sounds like to you! If you don't like my honesty and the way things really are maybe you should apply for a job on fantasy island!!

coco-nuts

2nd January 2006, 05:47

yes they do offer long term contracts here in Sahara but you have to complete the first contract, this proves to them that you can handle India etc etc.

hope this helps
cheers
coco

coco-nuts

2nd January 2006, 06:10

Tomcat,you certainly dont mix your words! I guess with your attitude you should do well in the many companies that will be hiring you in the future!
Things are slow here at the moment because the 76 is being hurried up and because of the over run the airline is being treated as a naughty boy. There are many other expats here with me at the hotel who have been told that their orals have been deferred until such time as an Inspector can be found.
What can i say Patience is the key word here!
The local managers are unhappy because we are being paid and yet we cant get training due to the situation. As one local said to me that once DGCA s feeling nicer towards the airline then things will happen quicker.
Overall i dont have any complaints, i am treated well by the locals, i guess it helps to look like one. The life style is good and i am enjoying the cool temperatures that Delhi offers. However i have been told that i have to go to Mumbai once all my training etc is finished. I am working on this too and wonder who in rostering i have to buy dinner for hehehe in order to remain in Delhi!!!
Met a few guys who are already on the line and they say they work hard. This is fine by me as the harder i work the less i have to fly at the end of the year when the totals approach the limits. More holiday time with the good lady and our brady bunch.
Oh by the way Kap'n M thanks for the offer but wait until after i see and embrace India for a year or so. Happy New Year to you and yours!

cheers
coco

tomcat21

2nd January 2006, 15:28

Coco-nuts, I say it like it is. I have been hired by many good companies and have excellent refs. There is no better picture to paint than the truth.

speedtwoten

3rd January 2006, 12:31

:confused: sorry everybody, I know I'm not as good as you are in my english but I just want to let you know what happen within Air Sahara, but if you think I'm trying to fool you, just come and try Air Sahara, and you may find an examiner from ex Serbia that may speak and even write english better than me, but first at all try to joint Air Sahara as an expat or you can pm TC21 he was there, and at this month 2 expat leave already, without finishing their contract, means they leave without 1 month salary, live is bad with them:{

coco-nuts

3rd January 2006, 12:32

M the bases you have just mentioned are where i am being told to go! Yikes im really gonna have to go and buy the Whisky for the Base Manager here in Delhi. :{ Oh well tis part of my India experience i guess lol
If only i had a 767 type, they are desperate there.

speedtwoten

3rd January 2006, 12:39

dear Gonomultani, can't say anything but just be carefull.

and TC21, just remember coco is not yet 6 month with Air Sahara, just wait what he got to say after 6 month

coco-nuts

3rd January 2006, 13:17

speedy i can tell you that one of the 76 skippers left a few days ago because while the touch and go's were happening he decided his turn had arrived. wasnt happy at being told to wait and resigned on the spot. i dont know about any other skippers resigning. what can i say, t'was his decision tis his life and so good luck to him!
i can tell you this much speedy. i have already decided (and they have agreed) that my family need to see India and be richer for the experience. i know that India is not just the main cities. I intend to take the family to places like Darjeeling and Pondicherry, ( just to mention a couple) ,places that i have only ever studied about. Now if i can only convince the Base Manager Delhi that he really needs me here, lol! , but alas it does not matter where the company bases me, with the family so ready to come over then it will make the stay ever more enjoyable.
to the new guys remember to be patient.

cheers
coco

BlueEagle

3rd January 2006, 21:43

These two threads have been merged, not moved as indicated. All I need to discover now is how to show that in the title of the merged threads!:confused:

Patience please, thanks and regards, BE.

coco-nuts

3rd January 2006, 23:17

How about an Indian Odyssey. Just kidding mate.

cheers
coco

coco-nuts

4th January 2006, 15:46

Well, i can now attest to how busy the DGCA are regards the interview. Licensing arranged for me last week to meet with the dreaded inspector on Tuesday the 3rd of January, and guess what? No interview due to inspector being overwhelmed by the number of foreign pilots being interviewed. Oh well will now have to wait until the inspector has some spare time to see me. I do feel sorry for our licensing people though, trying vainly to explain to me that i couldnt get an interview. No worries i keep telling them, ill be on call at the hotel! They thank me for being very understanding and off back to the hotel i go.Got back and was greeted by an old hand (american),who once again advised me to enjoy the time off while it lasted. Once you work son, that skin of yours gonna shine? Nurries mate as I just laugh and head off to my room. The numbers do keep dwindling however as another of the old timers has been called to Mumbai, (that dreaded place again lol) got called early today and off he went later that night.
Oh an interesting thing is that i went to collect my allowances today and saw that there are quite a few expats here, at least 40 by the two sheets of names i was able to see and both my company and another well known ryanair subsidiary company were evenly represented There was also little well known company in asia with about 4 reps. I went with a mate and actually saw the date that our pro rata wages were paid to our contractor. Tell you what guys, if the company tells you that your wages are late due to Air Sahara not paying them then i can tell you now that your contractor is bull !!!!eing you. Mind you after saying this i only saw my mates and my statements, so if we are the only ones who got paid while we were travelling bisiness class to Delhi then we must indeed be special. The contractors are paid ahead of the due date. I even saw the two names that speedy said had resigned, one was indeed our german 76 skipper and another that sounded like a south american or filipino name, not too sure but i know that he was represented by the least well known of the three contractors.
The drive there and back was interesting and Kaptain M you would most definately feel at home here, the driving was truly ala phillipines like with 5 cars to a 3 lane motorway, the honking of the car horns ...wow and after countless near accidents i never heard our driver swear once. A colleague remarked that the rest of the world could learn from the locals on how to drive and not swear etc etc...Paitence? Took an hour to get there and another hour plus to get back. My foot now hurts from all the reflex braking i was doing.

cheers
coco

tomcat21

4th January 2006, 17:11

Coco-nuts, I am happy for you that things are working out. I will tell you that I never really got to the bottom line on whether the agency or Air Sahara ws lying in regards to payment. One blames the other. I will say that sahara would be good if they were not so disorganized. If you don't see it now trust me you WILL! Myself, I hated it there. You may see alot of expats on the list and I think I know the one your talking about but they are not all there. You will be working 6 days a week and never know what your doing until the end of the day for the most part. A year is a long time do spend at the grand hyatt. Unless your a yogi master you will in time come to understand what I mean. Good luck and what ever you do don't do any favors for sahara, it will never be paid back!!

MASsenger

6th January 2006, 05:53

coco-nuts you have the right attitude to survive in India. Enjoy your stay and the rich experience you and your family will certainly have. I don`t particularly care to work in that part of the globe. There`s too much deception and back room drama practiced. Most of what is said up front is hardly practiced. Get taken for a ride on almost anything and everything. If someone is overly kind, watch out, he`s about to skin you!!!

rsoman

6th January 2006, 09:51

There`s too much deception and back room drama practiced. Most of what is said up front is hardly practiced. Get taken for a ride on almost anything and everything. If someone is overly kind, watch out, he`s about to skin you!!!

What crap! Just because a guy or two had a bad experience, you want to generalise it for the whole country!

Watergate - Ah that was something else!!!!

coco-nuts

6th January 2006, 10:45

Spoke to a very experienced expat examiner who works with Kingfisher. He says that with regards to organisation his company is the same. His roster is told to him the previous night. I dont know about the other companies so i wont quote what the rosters are like there, but he says maybe Jet has a better rostering system however dont bet on it too much. It sounds like the guys in rostering are very disorganised and maybe should be given a software program to meet the demands of modern day crewing.

cheers
coco