Air India Express

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Air India Express faces shortage of 200 pilots

Air India Express, the international low-cost arm of the national carrier Air India, requires around 200 more pilots to ensure smooth operations and increase its fleet utilisation to 12 hours a day from around six hours now.

In a presentation to civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on Monday, the airline company has said that they currently have 46 sets or 108 pilots available and and will require 126 sets of pilots more. Around 100 pilots will join the airline soon after they finish their training, which they were subjected to because of the strike.

Taking note of the problem of low fleet utilisation, Singh has advised to induct pilots from Air India to sort out the problem of pilot shortage in the interim.

“Taking a note of their problems, the minister has advised that 60 Air India pilots, who are currently being trained, should join the low-cost subsidiary immediately after the training. This will address a part of their shortage problem,” a senior civil aviation ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The minister has also asked Air India Express to increase its fleet utilisation to 12 hours a day from 5.69 hours a day currently.

The low-cost carrier has 21 aircraft in its fleet — 17 owned and 4 leased — and operates 134 flights a week.

Air India Express faces shortage of 200 pilots - Indian Express