Retire expat pilots, regulator warns; meeting tomorrow
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Don't be so rude.
I can understand indian governement willing to solve a local employment problem. Would'nt you like your local politicians to do the same for you.
As expat pilots you helped Indian aviation to grow when it really needed drivers. Nowaday they don't need you anymore, same in some US or other majors isn't it? There's no way to avoid these kind of behavior. Imagine a ban on Indian aviation when the need for foreigners arise again. Do you really think people would not apply if salaries are attractive enough?
That's the way it is, no one to blame, money is more important than human being's life, keep that in a brain's corner.
Dday mates
I can understand indian governement willing to solve a local employment problem. Would'nt you like your local politicians to do the same for you.
As expat pilots you helped Indian aviation to grow when it really needed drivers. Nowaday they don't need you anymore, same in some US or other majors isn't it? There's no way to avoid these kind of behavior. Imagine a ban on Indian aviation when the need for foreigners arise again. Do you really think people would not apply if salaries are attractive enough?
That's the way it is, no one to blame, money is more important than human being's life, keep that in a brain's corner.
Dday mates
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does the current system end up paying high price, and at the same time keeping quiet incompetent air crew in flying job? The sad answer to above question is a yes.
Trick is to be patient, raise the fares to those numbers that make sense, loose customers initially and be prepared for a month or so before they forget and return. I for one as an SLF rarely remember what I paid a month ago for a ticket and don't really let Rs 500 here or there make me waste my time flying. Maybe we will see some better quality travelers and less damage to the inside of aircraft. To me Quality over quantity any day.
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Jimmygill....a well written reply.
The incident I referred to happened when I corrected a senior AI Capt on an (AI) SOP and he turned and told me that "you damn foreigners come here thinking you can do what you like! You try to bring your United/American/BA, [etc, etc] procedures with you! You are not welcome here. AI is for Indians not you foreigners." No, I wasn't introducing "my" SOPs I was enforcing AI's SOPs and those endorsed by the DGCA and therefore ICAO. So, a pleasurable 9 hrs was had by all!
I cannot deny that perhaps the scars run a bit too deep and that I should just get over it. I do get on a high horse occasionally when I see the unparallelled ignorance, arrogance and low, low, low standards deemed acceptable. Should I too place my head in the sand?
Jimmy, you mentioned professionalism is like a disease: good analogy. I believe it can be infectuous, it should be infectuous and able to spread. Unfortunately laziness, corruption and medicroty has a higher, faster more consuming transfer rate. It is more easilly spread.
So, to LOWER the safety standards of an already dismal situation for political brownie points by puting in place pilots without the training needed is just plain dumb. Well, it's really criminally negligent one may say?
Can a pilot with 200-500 hrs operate a commuter jet to a good standard? YES. It takes dedicated training in a non-compromising environment. Can anyone be honest and say that is what occurs at AI?
Make the changes, raise the bar, get these pilots to the level they need to be at then employ your own nationals. I wish the Indian pilots only the best with their careers but not at the jeopardy of safety.
I resigned because I refused to be part of that system. It was by no means "easy" but the only option for me. Walking away from an environment you are within that is illegal (against DGCA and ICAO rules), wrong and dangerous does not constitute selling out I would think. What would you do if you were ORDERED to pass a Capt who could not land the aircraft in 15 kt xwind, raw data ILS, but crashed it twice despite all methods of training I could muster? And it was by no means the only such occurance in similar circumstances; be they FO's or Capts. These hands didn't want that blood on them. Maybe I was just not a good enough instructor and the wrong person for the job. Trust me, I'm not so arrogant as not to have thought and/or believed that.
Again, Jimmygill, a welcomed retort and always willing to swap a comment when it is constructive. Cheers....
The incident I referred to happened when I corrected a senior AI Capt on an (AI) SOP and he turned and told me that "you damn foreigners come here thinking you can do what you like! You try to bring your United/American/BA, [etc, etc] procedures with you! You are not welcome here. AI is for Indians not you foreigners." No, I wasn't introducing "my" SOPs I was enforcing AI's SOPs and those endorsed by the DGCA and therefore ICAO. So, a pleasurable 9 hrs was had by all!
I cannot deny that perhaps the scars run a bit too deep and that I should just get over it. I do get on a high horse occasionally when I see the unparallelled ignorance, arrogance and low, low, low standards deemed acceptable. Should I too place my head in the sand?
Jimmy, you mentioned professionalism is like a disease: good analogy. I believe it can be infectuous, it should be infectuous and able to spread. Unfortunately laziness, corruption and medicroty has a higher, faster more consuming transfer rate. It is more easilly spread.
So, to LOWER the safety standards of an already dismal situation for political brownie points by puting in place pilots without the training needed is just plain dumb. Well, it's really criminally negligent one may say?
Can a pilot with 200-500 hrs operate a commuter jet to a good standard? YES. It takes dedicated training in a non-compromising environment. Can anyone be honest and say that is what occurs at AI?
Make the changes, raise the bar, get these pilots to the level they need to be at then employ your own nationals. I wish the Indian pilots only the best with their careers but not at the jeopardy of safety.
I resigned because I refused to be part of that system. It was by no means "easy" but the only option for me. Walking away from an environment you are within that is illegal (against DGCA and ICAO rules), wrong and dangerous does not constitute selling out I would think. What would you do if you were ORDERED to pass a Capt who could not land the aircraft in 15 kt xwind, raw data ILS, but crashed it twice despite all methods of training I could muster? And it was by no means the only such occurance in similar circumstances; be they FO's or Capts. These hands didn't want that blood on them. Maybe I was just not a good enough instructor and the wrong person for the job. Trust me, I'm not so arrogant as not to have thought and/or believed that.
Again, Jimmygill, a welcomed retort and always willing to swap a comment when it is constructive. Cheers....
Last edited by TopTup; 16th Nov 2009 at 09:45.
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weird
it is really weird that somebody has so much hatred for india and indians. so why did he go there in the first place?
well conditions in other countries is no better. try finding a job in USA or europe with your local pilot's licence? the fact is that all countries have safeguards for locals.
US needs indian techies and doctors and nurses and drivers and engineers... the list is endless as americans are not upto the mark. those who are, charge too much by way of salary and perks. thats the difference. so when expats go to india, they are not exactly working on indian terms, they get paid far higher than indians themselves. hence they at best are of limited utility for short term needs.
racism is a part of life in all countries, look what is happening in australia, uk is stamping out indian doctors, us is considering "buffalo for bangalore".
so worry not for india. it will manage itself. like it always has.
well conditions in other countries is no better. try finding a job in USA or europe with your local pilot's licence? the fact is that all countries have safeguards for locals.
US needs indian techies and doctors and nurses and drivers and engineers... the list is endless as americans are not upto the mark. those who are, charge too much by way of salary and perks. thats the difference. so when expats go to india, they are not exactly working on indian terms, they get paid far higher than indians themselves. hence they at best are of limited utility for short term needs.
racism is a part of life in all countries, look what is happening in australia, uk is stamping out indian doctors, us is considering "buffalo for bangalore".
so worry not for india. it will manage itself. like it always has.
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[Off Topic] Under The Carpet
I am not sure the current system (read market) is paying the correct price for flying in India. India is a country where expenses are almost if not higher in some cases than Europe/US/Australia. The low cost airfares being offered most times are so stupid (read cheap cheap cheap), topped with the fickle customers as well as any govt on a popularity campaign asking for lower prices results in a non sustainable revenue of no quality at all to pay Local, expat or anyone from Mars. For crying out loud it is cheaper to fly round trip almost anywhere in India than it was 20 years ago!!! Pray do tell me what has become cheaper in the last 20 years in aviation???
Maybe we will see some better quality travelers and less damage to the inside of aircraft. To me Quality over quantity any day.
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Let them get on with it................ just hope that civilised countries ensure that appropriate ramp checks are carried out and the carriers appropriately banned from foreign airspace if they do not meet with ICAO standards.
@other expats who have a problem with India/Indian culture
Don't like it ? Leave it.
Oh, here's something interesting:
British PM vows to curb entry of doctors, professionals - UK - World - The Times of India
"I know people worry about whether immigration undermines their wages and the job prospects of their children and they also worry about whether they will get a decent home for their families," he {Gordon Brown} underlined.
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airflirt.... Please indicate which part of my post showed any form of hatred against India or Indians? What a dispicable comment to make.
I had my name down with a few agencies. They approached me with a contract at AI as a TRI/TRE. I did not approach them (AI in particular). I accepted. One of the worst mistakes of my professional career. My opinion. Please don't comment on my experiences as you have NO idea.
You want to safeguard local jobs at the sacrifice of safety THAT is my point. If there was no sacacrifice of safety then by all means employ the national pilots. Just read my post again. (I'm typing this one especially slow so you can keep up).
Yes, look at what is happening in Australia and other countries. Now, where did you get your information? Did you get it from the local press? I can GUARANTEE you that the story is played out differently in Oz as are the the reports on CNN and BBC. But to search for FACTS and an unbiassed point of view may get in the way of your omniscient (look it up) stand.
The difference is in countries like the US, UK, Australia (those you mentioned) if and when racism raises its dispicable head it is despised by the media and hated by the general public. It is dealt with as quickly as possible. Can you say the same? Same goes for your "standards" of airline training and safety procedures.
So, AGAIN (!) expat contract pilots have a limited term wherever they go. They are there to fill a vacuum. To replace experienced tried and proven competant pilots with inexperienced, untrained and incompetance is WRONG. I do not blame the cadet or 175-200 hr CPL for the standards they are taught to be satisfactory but the system they are fed into and spat out from, then exist within knowing no better or then wanting to know any better.
You've really hit the ground running with your first post! Keep up the mediocrity!!
I had my name down with a few agencies. They approached me with a contract at AI as a TRI/TRE. I did not approach them (AI in particular). I accepted. One of the worst mistakes of my professional career. My opinion. Please don't comment on my experiences as you have NO idea.
You want to safeguard local jobs at the sacrifice of safety THAT is my point. If there was no sacacrifice of safety then by all means employ the national pilots. Just read my post again. (I'm typing this one especially slow so you can keep up).
Yes, look at what is happening in Australia and other countries. Now, where did you get your information? Did you get it from the local press? I can GUARANTEE you that the story is played out differently in Oz as are the the reports on CNN and BBC. But to search for FACTS and an unbiassed point of view may get in the way of your omniscient (look it up) stand.
The difference is in countries like the US, UK, Australia (those you mentioned) if and when racism raises its dispicable head it is despised by the media and hated by the general public. It is dealt with as quickly as possible. Can you say the same? Same goes for your "standards" of airline training and safety procedures.
So, AGAIN (!) expat contract pilots have a limited term wherever they go. They are there to fill a vacuum. To replace experienced tried and proven competant pilots with inexperienced, untrained and incompetance is WRONG. I do not blame the cadet or 175-200 hr CPL for the standards they are taught to be satisfactory but the system they are fed into and spat out from, then exist within knowing no better or then wanting to know any better.
You've really hit the ground running with your first post! Keep up the mediocrity!!
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I think thats elitist, ... deja-vue. Nevermind, its just my thought, but statement doesn't sound quiet politically correct.
Politically correct and what is realistically correct/factual are often divergent views.
Sorry to sound elitist, however there is a time and place for everything, and sometimes rushing it ahead of it's time can have adverse ramifications. Just my opinion.
As for you pointing out at a prestigious educational institute what was theoretical and authorized stats......well bad luck for those illiterates who did not want sit down and analyze why this statistic is so? Instead they got all defensive and politically correct and brushed it under the carpet. Similar attitude seems to be rampant from what is observed on this forum. Sweeping the fact that the bulk of Indians are new to aviation(read skewed ratio) and we need good quality teachers (please read earlier post about corruption in selecting this quality) and these cost money and learning takes time. No fast forward button here....Sometime it is better to sit and listen and learn rather than talk over the other person consistently.
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The expats in my airline are quite worried about their future in India and for good reason. However, I repeatedly reassure them that their services will be needed atleast for another 18-24 months before we have the numbers to justify their exit.
A lot of their insecurities are fed by the media and the inane bulls decreed by the DGCA. The ground reality is that most airlines don't have the experienced crews or the training resources to facilitate the compliance of the July '10 deadline.
A blurb in the media said that there are plenty of 1500 hr co-p's to fill the slots occupied by expats to make room for the unemployed anointed ones. That just gives you an example of the severe disconnect the journos have as far as aviation is concerned (amongst many other things).
A lot of their insecurities are fed by the media and the inane bulls decreed by the DGCA. The ground reality is that most airlines don't have the experienced crews or the training resources to facilitate the compliance of the July '10 deadline.
A blurb in the media said that there are plenty of 1500 hr co-p's to fill the slots occupied by expats to make room for the unemployed anointed ones. That just gives you an example of the severe disconnect the journos have as far as aviation is concerned (amongst many other things).
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That's a well written post TopTup.What you say is very much true.Nowadays the world is suffering from reverse racism and nothing much is being done about it.In India the governement , press and general public are pretty ill informed and don't seem to understand the dynamics of aviation.Many years ago , the expat pilot was well regarded in India but today the scene is pretty different mainly because the planes of today are pretty easy to fly and everyone feels that they are upto it....but this opinion will change shortly.We are seeing many incidents and accidents happen and if experience is not given any preference we would see a pretty catastrophic disaster happen..although I hope it does not.
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@ TopTup
Absolutely excellent post(s) my friend.....!! Very well written and extremely honest. As close to the truth that I would dare to do.......Kudos..
Been in your spot myself,and had to do exactly what you claimed--myself!
If experience had no worth,every trainee I cleared as captain would flash me his ATP on his very first solo leg and ask me to jump off the flight deck,just because he too now had his four! But that doesn't happen does it? I know boys who are 26 yrs old and flying a medium jet in command with their four bars,and others who are 62 and also flying the same jet with their four bars too. See a difference...?
Over n Out ..
Absolutely excellent post(s) my friend.....!! Very well written and extremely honest. As close to the truth that I would dare to do.......Kudos..
Been in your spot myself,and had to do exactly what you claimed--myself!
If experience had no worth,every trainee I cleared as captain would flash me his ATP on his very first solo leg and ask me to jump off the flight deck,just because he too now had his four! But that doesn't happen does it? I know boys who are 26 yrs old and flying a medium jet in command with their four bars,and others who are 62 and also flying the same jet with their four bars too. See a difference...?
Over n Out ..
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dear mr.
dear kind mr. toptup,
i have really read your posts hard after your retort of typing ever so slowly.all that i could make out is a sense of utter lack of sensitivity when you refer to indian gods and what not.
(i am also typing slowly enough)
the proof of the pudding is in eating it. kindly go back in history and look what US airways did in 1960s and early seventies. well it seems by raising the bogey of safety you seem to be unwilling to give the indian youngsters a chance. by the way, when do you think a guy is ready for command? you are actually casting aspertions on the indian check pilots and examiners who have been doing a great job in trying circumstances. living in india is tough and i mean it. but that doesn't mean amybody has a right to denounce a culture. i may be wrong but like many others i noticed a sense of deep rooted cynicism and racist tendency in your post. mediocrity is not so bad if it is safe. as for running, i am ready for a marathon.
god bless.
i have really read your posts hard after your retort of typing ever so slowly.all that i could make out is a sense of utter lack of sensitivity when you refer to indian gods and what not.
(i am also typing slowly enough)
the proof of the pudding is in eating it. kindly go back in history and look what US airways did in 1960s and early seventies. well it seems by raising the bogey of safety you seem to be unwilling to give the indian youngsters a chance. by the way, when do you think a guy is ready for command? you are actually casting aspertions on the indian check pilots and examiners who have been doing a great job in trying circumstances. living in india is tough and i mean it. but that doesn't mean amybody has a right to denounce a culture. i may be wrong but like many others i noticed a sense of deep rooted cynicism and racist tendency in your post. mediocrity is not so bad if it is safe. as for running, i am ready for a marathon.
god bless.
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how can mediocrity be safe? thats like saying "I can't do anything well but trust me I am still safe". People are not racists for pointing out facts they are racist for judging someone based on the color of their skin. I don't see any of this in tottup's posts. Please stop using the race card whenever you don't have an answer.
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Hoover, King on a Wing and Sky Dancer: thanks for the support. If we don't openly discuss such issues they are too easilly hidden by those who do not or will not.
Airflirt, I've got nothing for you. You praise medicroty as an acceptable "standard". You embarress yourself in your posts. You can offer no aviation facts to support an arguemnt and thus return to your dispicable ways of claiming racism. I did not bring up the topic of the Hindu Gods, a compatriot of yours did. I mearly said that the Hiindu Gods should be prayed to for the right reasons (SAFETY) and not for any other reason. You are pathetic and I pity you. If you think I am getting personal then you are right. You claim racism whenever your agenda is not accepted by the wider community. Dispicable. Grow up or pi$$ off.
Do I cast a doubt on the AI TRE/TRI's? YES! A great job under trying circumstances? WHAT? Passing pilots who should and MUST be failed due inability and poor standards is NOT to be commended, except in your deluded world.
At AI the expats which (from memory) include Americans, English, Mexicans, Brazillians, Spanish, Italians, Russians, Australians, New Zealand, Singaporeans, etc from all walks of aviation ([active] military, intl airlines, domestic airlines, GA, gliders, sea planes, crop dusting, etc, etc, etc) from all backgrounds are ALL WRONG but the nationals at AI.
ALL the people aren't ALWAYS wrong ALL the time.
Airflirt, I've got nothing for you. You praise medicroty as an acceptable "standard". You embarress yourself in your posts. You can offer no aviation facts to support an arguemnt and thus return to your dispicable ways of claiming racism. I did not bring up the topic of the Hindu Gods, a compatriot of yours did. I mearly said that the Hiindu Gods should be prayed to for the right reasons (SAFETY) and not for any other reason. You are pathetic and I pity you. If you think I am getting personal then you are right. You claim racism whenever your agenda is not accepted by the wider community. Dispicable. Grow up or pi$$ off.
Do I cast a doubt on the AI TRE/TRI's? YES! A great job under trying circumstances? WHAT? Passing pilots who should and MUST be failed due inability and poor standards is NOT to be commended, except in your deluded world.
At AI the expats which (from memory) include Americans, English, Mexicans, Brazillians, Spanish, Italians, Russians, Australians, New Zealand, Singaporeans, etc from all walks of aviation ([active] military, intl airlines, domestic airlines, GA, gliders, sea planes, crop dusting, etc, etc, etc) from all backgrounds are ALL WRONG but the nationals at AI.
ALL the people aren't ALWAYS wrong ALL the time.
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TopTup,
You seem to be hitting some nerves, right and wrong.
All I can say is that you are eloquently and constructively peeling off the facade which is India which is getting a lot of people hot and bothered. Most guys here refuse to take off those rose tinted glasses and live in a delusional world where everything is just the way it is supposed to be. But looking at it from an Indian civil aviators (or a national in a broader term) POV they don't know any better and you exposing their ignorance is inviting these personal attacks on you. One thing that a lot of locals sorely lack is the emotional maturity to take criticism and learn from it, hence the uphill task you encountered when you elected to take up a job here.
Keep up the good work.
You seem to be hitting some nerves, right and wrong.
All I can say is that you are eloquently and constructively peeling off the facade which is India which is getting a lot of people hot and bothered. Most guys here refuse to take off those rose tinted glasses and live in a delusional world where everything is just the way it is supposed to be. But looking at it from an Indian civil aviators (or a national in a broader term) POV they don't know any better and you exposing their ignorance is inviting these personal attacks on you. One thing that a lot of locals sorely lack is the emotional maturity to take criticism and learn from it, hence the uphill task you encountered when you elected to take up a job here.
Keep up the good work.
Last edited by av8r76; 18th Nov 2009 at 04:18. Reason: syntax error
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av8r76,
I think you've hit the nail on the head - good point.
Still I think that by openly discussing these issues occasionally a light may come on somewhere, me included. Quite often points of view are gained due ignorance of the truth. What at first frustrated the hell out of me in, say India, I later often found out "why" things were as they were and it all made perfect sense afterward. BUT to knowingly CHOOSE to look away when all evidence is so blatantly obvious is absolutley insane - my point of viw. Then to discard healthy discussions as being racist is dispicable.
So, cheers for your comments.
Back to the thread: train the nation pilots to the standard suitable. No shortcuts, no trade-offs, no corruption, no bribery, no compromises. (And that DOES NOT only refer to India). See the expat contracts out as per the legalities they are due, then induct the well trained, disciplined and suitable national pilots.
Good luck to those Indian CPL holders. Just not at the expense of safety. Respect the expats' contracts as you would like a contract made with you respected.
I think you've hit the nail on the head - good point.
Still I think that by openly discussing these issues occasionally a light may come on somewhere, me included. Quite often points of view are gained due ignorance of the truth. What at first frustrated the hell out of me in, say India, I later often found out "why" things were as they were and it all made perfect sense afterward. BUT to knowingly CHOOSE to look away when all evidence is so blatantly obvious is absolutley insane - my point of viw. Then to discard healthy discussions as being racist is dispicable.
So, cheers for your comments.
Back to the thread: train the nation pilots to the standard suitable. No shortcuts, no trade-offs, no corruption, no bribery, no compromises. (And that DOES NOT only refer to India). See the expat contracts out as per the legalities they are due, then induct the well trained, disciplined and suitable national pilots.
Good luck to those Indian CPL holders. Just not at the expense of safety. Respect the expats' contracts as you would like a contract made with you respected.
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Airlines may get reprieve in expat pilot phase-out
Mihir Mishra / New Delhi November 19, 2009, 0:25 IST
Regulator may extend deadline after industry says it lacks Indian commanders
The year-old controversy over hiring expatriate pilots is likely to intensify, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) considering an extension of the deadline for their phase-out.
The airline industry regulator is considering the move in response to requests by airlines that say they lack Indian commanders and senior pilots to replace all the 600 expatriate pilots on their rosters. The phase-out deadline is July 1, 2010.
Commanders require about 2,800 hours of flying time as a co-pilot, a process that takes about four years. Airlines contend that the services of at least 25 per cent of the current complement of expat pilots would be required after the July deadline.
"It is not possible to phase out all the expat pilots by the July deadline and we expect that at least 150 of them will be needed still for some period of time," a DGCA official explains.
“We are monitoring how airlines are reducing the number of expat pilots and a decision on an extension could be taken soon,” he adds.
Although an extension will be a reprieve for the airlines — mainly Air India, Jet and Kingfisher — and the expat pilots that face a global slump in demand for their services, local associations have protested strongly.
"This would be a wrong move. We already have a lot of qualified pilots in the country who need to be accommodated in senior positions," says Ravindra Kumar, president of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, which represents the erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots (Indian Airlines was merged with Air India).
A senior committee member of the executive pilots association of Air India adds, "Co-pilots are not being trained to become commanders so that a shortage is being created. Otherwise we don't need expats even now, forget about July."
Indian pilots are also aggrieved because expats earn salaries that are at least 15 per cent higher, even when the carriers cut salaries and emoluments of local pilots owing to the slowdown.
DGCA's order of June 2008 was taken primarily to create opportunities for Indian pilots, especially at a time when around 3,000 pilots were looking for jobs and the slowdown had forced airlines to retrench hundreds of pilots .
This will not be the first time DGCA has had to postpone a phase-out deadline for expat pilots. The regulator extended the deadline in 2008 for hiring only Indians as co-pilots by two years after the airlines said fresh pilots could not start flying immediately and they would need training, which could take a few months.
State-owned Air India has 153 expat pilots and has said it will promote 50 co-pilots with sufficient hours as commanders, which leaves a deficit of over 100 pilots.
Jet Airways and Kingfisher have around 200 expats each and they are also trying various ways to phase out the expats. SpiceJet and IndiGo, the two low-cost carriers, have very few expats and say they are working to meet the DGCA directive.
Mihir Mishra / New Delhi November 19, 2009, 0:25 IST
Regulator may extend deadline after industry says it lacks Indian commanders
The year-old controversy over hiring expatriate pilots is likely to intensify, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) considering an extension of the deadline for their phase-out.
The airline industry regulator is considering the move in response to requests by airlines that say they lack Indian commanders and senior pilots to replace all the 600 expatriate pilots on their rosters. The phase-out deadline is July 1, 2010.
Commanders require about 2,800 hours of flying time as a co-pilot, a process that takes about four years. Airlines contend that the services of at least 25 per cent of the current complement of expat pilots would be required after the July deadline.
"It is not possible to phase out all the expat pilots by the July deadline and we expect that at least 150 of them will be needed still for some period of time," a DGCA official explains.
“We are monitoring how airlines are reducing the number of expat pilots and a decision on an extension could be taken soon,” he adds.
Although an extension will be a reprieve for the airlines — mainly Air India, Jet and Kingfisher — and the expat pilots that face a global slump in demand for their services, local associations have protested strongly.
"This would be a wrong move. We already have a lot of qualified pilots in the country who need to be accommodated in senior positions," says Ravindra Kumar, president of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, which represents the erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots (Indian Airlines was merged with Air India).
A senior committee member of the executive pilots association of Air India adds, "Co-pilots are not being trained to become commanders so that a shortage is being created. Otherwise we don't need expats even now, forget about July."
Indian pilots are also aggrieved because expats earn salaries that are at least 15 per cent higher, even when the carriers cut salaries and emoluments of local pilots owing to the slowdown.
DGCA's order of June 2008 was taken primarily to create opportunities for Indian pilots, especially at a time when around 3,000 pilots were looking for jobs and the slowdown had forced airlines to retrench hundreds of pilots .
This will not be the first time DGCA has had to postpone a phase-out deadline for expat pilots. The regulator extended the deadline in 2008 for hiring only Indians as co-pilots by two years after the airlines said fresh pilots could not start flying immediately and they would need training, which could take a few months.
State-owned Air India has 153 expat pilots and has said it will promote 50 co-pilots with sufficient hours as commanders, which leaves a deficit of over 100 pilots.
Jet Airways and Kingfisher have around 200 expats each and they are also trying various ways to phase out the expats. SpiceJet and IndiGo, the two low-cost carriers, have very few expats and say they are working to meet the DGCA directive.
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Good posts by you indeed.
As far as Government sanctioned nationalistic pride taking precedence over safety is concerned, we need not look any further than the new Master race of Europe, the French. They are quite happy to carry on speaking French, rather than the ICAO agreed aviation language, which is English. Closely followed by another "first world" country, the Spanish.
They also have something else in common. Their readiness to capitulate at the first sign of trouble.
Good posts by you indeed.
As far as Government sanctioned nationalistic pride taking precedence over safety is concerned, we need not look any further than the new Master race of Europe, the French. They are quite happy to carry on speaking French, rather than the ICAO agreed aviation language, which is English. Closely followed by another "first world" country, the Spanish.
They also have something else in common. Their readiness to capitulate at the first sign of trouble.
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