Job market in India.

[Mohit_C]

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask it, as I don't see any mentioning of Indian airlines in this section, but I am hearing and reading a lot of conflicting information regarding the job market in India. I have heard from several expat pilots who used to fly in India that the job market was excellent until a few months back when some rule was introduced to keep only nationals flying the airlines. Another thing I have heard is that airlines over there, until very recently, used to pay for complete training (something that very rarely happens these days...like the Etihad sponsorship scheme). I also heard that the entry requirements vary for nationals and for expats.

Now I've checked all the websites of the main airlines and they don't seem to reflect the information I've heard....at least from people that used to fly there! I also heard that type rating costs is covered by the company and that nationals only require a basic licence to join ("frozen" ATPL). When I check Air India's website...they mention you need to pay 22.5 lakh rupees!

I've tried contacting these companies but can never get the information as they say all is on the website. Can someone give me an brief update on what things are like over there? Lastly, I am a Spanish passport holder that used to have an Indian passport previously. If I were to travel to India with an OCI (or PIO) card, would I still be eligible to apply to these airlines if their requirements are Indian citizenship?

Thanks a lot.

[on_demand]

No txt spk - thank you!

[gravity9]

lol you are highly misinformed

india has around 6500 unemployed pilots... while its true u just need basic cpl/ir/multi to get into an airline... there isnt even a chance unless you know someone in the industry..

most airlines are only taking pilot who are wiling to pay for the type rating on their own

and the expats rule says all expats should be out by June 2010 but that was extended

[vserian]

india has around 6500 unemployed pilots

Can you tell me from where did you get that figure? Looks like you are also misinformed.

To be really on the safe side, there are less than 4000 unemployed pilots and less than 700 of them are experienced pilots with more than 1000 hrs with or without a type rating and in that 4000 minus 700, there aree many who haven't even cleared the DGCA exams ( many of them are still doing their 2nd or 3rd or 4th etc attempt), so that means many of them are still having foreign license and not authorised to fly in India yet till they get their DGCA Indian license. So that means the "REAL" unemplyed one are less than 3000 and the rest are still struggling to pass their exams. And yes many are still training abroad.

Where did i get these from? i work closely with these stuffs...

[abhi4u2]

No txt spk thanks!

HWB
Moderator

[vserian]

@abhi4u2

Well, its most likely that these guys who are still doing the exams will clear, lets say 90% clear within 2 years so there will be a long line of unemployed and more will be coming after their training. The figure that the other guys said was wrong, but its true that situation is getting worst, if this goes on this rate by 10 years time we can have more than 10000 unemployed pilots unless airlines are hungry for pilots like they were in 2006 ( very unlikely to happen). There are high possibilies that many of these unemployed pilots will never make it as career pilots in their life, which is very sad. Believe me, airlines are hiring but they are hiring behind your back, the average guy with a CPL cant make it nowadays unless he is lucky, but the ones who were born with a silver spoon and his dad is a captain or a relative with a politician would make it, even as far to a right seat on a 777 as his first job and earn over 2 laks at an age of 23 while his friend are still at college and fellow pilots are unemployed..

Situation in India is really getting worse, dont get gloomed by seeing on internet sites that hiring will be back like it was before, even if its true, the chance of getting in for an average Indian CPL holder is less than the other one who graduated in IGRUA or a spoilt rich boy....

In the future Airlines will ask you to buy a type rating which will increase your debt by over 10 laks or else if competition really comes very stiff they may probably ask you to score a whooping 90% in your CPL exams. The hard times wont be over for future young Indian pilots..

[Alicia.C]

gravity9, or anyone for that matter, please can you tell me what the 'expats rule' is and how long it has been extended for (if known)?

I'm aware of FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization), but am I right in that technically there's nothing currently stopping Mohit_C from working in India? Does he require a full Indian passport for instance?

Presumably FATA was brought in due to an excess of Indian national pilots?

Appreciate the clarification.

Thanks,

Alicia.

[abhi4u2]

@vserian

i understand wht you are trying to say...but not everyone who gets employed is a politicians relative or some big shot...there are genuine recruits too..I m one of them.now i knw the nxt thing strikin ur mind will b tht if i gt it i must have some contacts but i dnt have to clarify anyting on tht to you.but i agree that at the rate people are getting there cpl is crazy.i have seen people who came into aviation jst coz they dint know what to do after there 12th,thts wht annoys me.and ultimately they are the ones suffering coz they dnt knw hw the industry wrks in india. its just the glamour tht attracts them;n m sure this figure is not at all going to stop or slow down.mark my words the licence numbering series will go upto 12-13 by 2012 which is nt to far...just hope no one gets discouraged and acts like our poor farmers commitin suicide thts the least one can hope.coz def not so many of them will make it into an airline!!!!!!

[vserian]

@abhi4u2

Hi there, i was not referring to everyone, if my post seemed like that i apologies. But in this current situation most people with the power and contatcs get in easily compared to others who worked hard and scarified to get to that dream. Infact i was someone who reached where i am with hard work and sacrifice.( i didn't even know 1 single person in aviation industry at the time i looked for work). I initially worked in various places in Africa then only the time came in India and airlines started hiring pilots. When i applied it was very competitive ( not like in the 2006 days) and the best ones were only selected ( and of course those with contacts). But currently i ve seen more people getting in with contacts than the ones who struggled hard, thats why i wrote like that.

But like i said, future is not going to be easy for the new pilots, competition will be at its highest in the coming years even if airlines start hiring.

[dolly08]

This is a very debatable thing going on in India and i am going to be a victim of it. Very sad to say and see that people with more contacts and deep pockets are getting through, and if you have none of these, the only chances are to study and acquire knowledge in the best way and then wait for yourself to be lucky.

I agree that there genuine recruitment but the problem is if there are people on the high rank supporting genuine recruitment, corruption comes in between, say 40 openings, about 15 to obc/sc/st, among 25 about 20 people would have some connections and they will definitely get through, lucky if you are then in 5.

But to think is if there is going to be so much competition and the airlines not hungry for pilots, will the interest for a person to fly and dream or aspire to become a pilot will eventually take a back seat, i don't think so.

You do not study or learn something by seeing the job scenario, right?
You would do it 'coz you you are interested in it and you find yourself capable enough to do it.

Why not just entrance exams and the most deserving gets it, at least you would know the way is to clear the exam and you will study for it as one does for IITs or IIMs. Right now we just do not the way, everywhere we apply would be like a hit and go and see, even if we prepare so well for th exams.

I just feel the airlines and the personnels realize that there are more deserving
people who have all the right to be selected than with money or connections, there are people with passion who have invested their only money to follow their dream to become an airline pilot one day.

I think that will help so many. There should be some way out.

[INNflight]

How about you guys learn to WRITE proper English before taking this further?

This thread looks like it has some 11-year olds knocking the keyboard here, and the maintenance log in your future aircraft certainly wouldn't look OK n txt spk eithr.

[pilotm1]

Hi Alicia,,
I am not very sure of what gravity9 (http://www.pprune.org/members/341010-gravity9) exactly points to by the "expats rule":hmm: but what I have read lately is,,Among the changes introduced for Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA), the provision that allows pilots holding foreign licences to fly Indian-registered aircraft for Indian carriers — is the one on proficiency checks.

From now, expatriate pilots will have to clear a four-hour proficiency check on a flight simulator, carried out by a DGCA-approved examiner. Till now, expatriate pilots only had to undergo an oral exam on Air Regulations carried by the DGCA officials.

The other new additional demands that airlines should submit are a certificate (issued by the aviation regulator of the country that the foreign pilot belongs to) stating that the pilot concerned has not been involved in any accident in the past five years and that his/her pilot licence and rating is authentic. The DGCA too will now have to verify the authenticity of foreign licence and ratings of flight crew from the issuing authority concerned.
Conclusion is that DGCA toughens rule and a clean record is must for expat pilots to continue to fly in India:ooh:,,,,,,,,,,"finally some hope for us jobless Indian CPL holders doing nothing besides hoping for a break into airlines";)

[NzCaptainAndrew]

We have Many MANY Indian student pilots who come over here (newzealand) to train and from what ive heard from each and every one of them is if you dont know some one in the industry or your parents arnt powerful or you have no money then theres not much chance youl get a job.

[vserian]

NzCaptainAndrew

Yes this is what i been telling about, i know there are many who gets in fair and square through hard work and luck but on the other hand there are many who get through contacts and politics. I even seen them getting hired in the peak of global recession with my very own eyes. Airlines are still hiring fresh pilots but just like john cena says you cant see them.