Is Indian Aviation really expanding like they say!

[ashwinrao]

Are they really hiring like they say they are? and expanding or is it just talk? I know a few people that have been talking a lot about it recently, and wondering if someone here might be better educated as to what the Future holds for pilots in India.

[arpansingla]

Article in Rediff.com:

With an unprecedented "boom" in aviation, the country is running short of pilots. Most carriers, state-owned as well as private, are in a scramble to lay their hands on trained pilots.

At present, there are about 1,200 trained commercial pilots in the country flying 165 jets. The problem is, there are not enough commanders among them.

"There is a sufficient number of co-pilots, but where are the people to sit on the left seat (the commander's position)?" asked Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

India has become the poaching ground for several Asian carriers.
Air-India has for the first time taken a dozen pilots from the US on its rolls.
The government has raised the retirement age for pilots by one year to 61.
Pilots are being offered salary hikes of over Rs 100,000 per month to switch jobs.The problem will only increase in the coming days as the number of jets flying in the country is set to leapfrog to over 500 in the next five years. Patel reckoned that at least 7-8 new national carriers would commence operations in the near future, while all existing players would expand their fleets.

What has made matters worse is that India has become the favourite poaching ground for several Asian carriers that do a lot of business in the country. "The staff of some of them has 70 per cent Indians," Patel said.

To tide over the crisis, Patel has decided to raise the retirement age of pilots by a year. He recently indicated that a year from now, the bar could be raised by another year.

Thus, instead of 60, some of the pilots are likely to retire at the age of 62. Patel knows that this cannot be a long-term solution to the problem. The training academies and flying clubs in the country churn out around 100 pilots every year. Patel wants to raise the number to 150 by setting up a new academy near Nandyal in Maharashtra, a constituency he has represented in Parliament in the past.

When asked about the status of the project, Patel said the Maharashtra government had agreed to transfer the land earmarked for the training academy to a society, which would run the venture.Not many in the cockpit.

Air jam

The number of jets in the country is set to leapfrog to over 500 in 5 years
At least 7-8 new national carriers will commence operations in the near future
Existing players to expand their fleets
Poaching problem

India is a favourite pilot poaching ground for several Asian carriers that do a lot of business in the country

[Full_ReverseThrust]

I know this is a bit off topic but do you guys or anyone else know of any Sikh airline pilots in the UK?
Any help here would be great

Cheers

[Left Wing]

ashwinrao: check your PMs

re: Sikhs in Indian aviation , have held a very long history and held hi-positions in airlines and IAF, not so sure aout the UK.

[ATIS]

full reverse

There are definitely some Sikhs in UK airlines.

[Full_ReverseThrust]

Thanks for that guys :ok:

Now, does anyone have any contact details for them. I would like to get in contact with them.

Cheers again

[ATIS]

Don't have any contact details yaar,

However there are a few in BA and a couple in BY. There are more about in other UK airlines cos you see them around various aiports.

Out of curiosity why do you ask. Are you Sikh and trying to get into the profession.

[Full_ReverseThrust]

Hi ATIS,

Cheers for the reply

Yeah I am man. Always been interested in becoming a pilot.
Hope to start my training within the next few years. Just wanted to know how the industry treats Sikhs esp ones with Turban and beard.

[arpansingla]

Full reverse thrust, Sasriakal, check this out:


http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144281&highlight=beard

[ATIS]

One of my instructors at Cabair was Sikh. I now know that he secured a position with an airline couple of years ago. Whether he took his turban off and shaved to get the job is something that I don't know. (A top bloke though)

The Sikhs that I met who worked for BA had cut their hair.

But I do remember YEARS ago there was a book published about Birmingham Airport. And in it was a BA Sikh pilot walking with his flight bag. He was wearing a turban and on it was the BA badge that you find on the caps. He must still be flying for BA

I wouldn't let it phase you, cos if you pass the exams and are able to fly well and you're a decent enough chap, I'm sure you will be hired.

Changa gee

[Full_ReverseThrust]

Thanks very much guys,

Appreciate all the help.

Incidently, im going to Cabair this weekend for a open day seminar thing. They a good flight school then?

Cheers again

[arpansingla]

Full reverse thrust

I recommend you check out the wannabes forums, all the info on most of the flight schools and opinions (watch out!) can be found there. Just do a search on it.

Someone from my local flying club told me Cabair is a good place to train but one thing he noticed was that everyone there (particularly on the integrated schemes) were very stressed out, possibly because its very hard work, but i suppose the rewards at the end of it all are well worth the effort you have to put in!

[plane_spotting]

hi ashwin,
perhaps this article could provide some additional info to solve your query.


AIRLINES FLY IN EXPAT CEOs, PILOTS TO PLUG SHORTAGE
G GANAPATHY SUBRAMANIAM & SUDIPTO DEY
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2005 09:51:03 PM]

DELHI: India’s open skies have brought on board a new migratory species: the expat-on-the-rolls. By end-’05, at least half-a-dozen local civil aviation companies will be run by foreign CEOs, while more than 50 expat pilots will fly in and out of Indian air space.

Faced with a shortage of trained manpower, domestic airline companies are hiring expat pilots by the droves — from Australia, France and Italy — even though foreign pilots are at least 25% more expensive than those here.

Air Deccan has hired 25 foreign pilots, making it the largest team of international pilots operating in India. Air-India has 15 foreign pilots to operate its Boeing 777s and will add 15 more to expand operations to the US and Europe.

Royal Airways, promoted by SpiceJet, plans to hire a dozen expat pilots over the next one year.

With at least six low-cost airlines expected to take wing over the next one year, and the existing domestic and private players expanding beyond India, the demand for trained expat pilots is here to stay, say sources.

Pushing the demand for foreign pilots is the fact that the airlines are inducting new aircraft. These pilots are hired on a one-year contract and airlines hope to ultimately groom staff within its ranks to fly the fleet
Air Deccan’s CEO GR Gopinath said training requirements for pilots are strict in India.

“While an ATR co-pilot has to gain experience of 300 hours before graduating to commander, just 25 hours of experience is enough in many countries,” he said. It has 10 foreign pilots operating ATR tuboprops and 10 operating Airbus A320s.

The costs involved in hiring a foreign pilot is more, as the payout is in dollars and additional facilities like hotel bills and airfare to travel to their home country are part of the deal.

A-I’s CMD V Thulasidas, says the airline is being forced to opt for foreign pilots as there is a shortage in the country. While AI is using a new aircraft, B777, its subsidiary Air-India Express has leased B737-800.

India has a pool of 1,200 trained pilots flying 165 aircraft. The number of such carriers will go up to 400 in the next two years. Also, airlines are poaching personnel from each other.

However, Air Sahara’s president, Ronojoy Dutta, does not plan to hire foreign pilots now.

“We have enough trained manpower and are scheduling our training programme sufficiently in advance,” he said.

SpiceJet has a self-financing training programme for co-pilots, who will bear 50% of the costs, pegged at lakhs. It finances part of the programme based on the number of years the pilot stays with the carrier.

Interestingly, India is an important poaching ground for crew for airlines in the Gulf and S-E Asia.