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When news reports announced the launch of a brand new airline in March last year, a time when airlines were struggling to keep planes in the air, it cheered the beleaguered industry. Chennai-based Volk Airlines, reports said, would offer the full gamut of services — business, economy and economy plus seats — and would soon begin flights out of Bangalore. The new airline put out advertisements for pilots and other staff and appeared on course for a smooth takeoff.

Fly by night, however, appears to be the main agenda of the airline. An aspiring airline pilot claims that he was duped out of Rs 10 lakh by the airline. Yash Vithlani, 22, was allegedly asked to pay the sum as a bribe by the human resources manager. But while Vithlani’s case appears to be a clear case of a rip-off, pilots employed in other airlines say graft is rampant in the industry.

Volk Airlines was scheduled to commence operations in September last year and had begun the process of “recruiting” staff. Pune-based Yash, who holds a commercial pilot licence, had applied for the post of first officer (co-pilot). Yash’s father Manish Vithlani, 47, a resident of Utopia Society, Wanowrie, revealed his son had cleared the written test and two rounds of interviews, but was then asked to cough up Rs 25 lakh to secure the job.

“My son Yash had cleared the written test and interview in June 2012,” Vithlani told Mirror. “He received a letter dated July 9, 2012 from Volk Airlines which stated that he had been selected as an Airbus 320 trainee co-pilot. The letter was signed by Radhika Rao, managing director of the airline.”

Vithlani alleges that Pathak was then asked to pay a bribe by one Gaurav Pathak, the human resources manager of the airline. “While the first interview was held by a panel of pilots, the second was conducted by Pathak,” Manish said. “After receiving the letter, my son didn’t hear from the airline so he called Pathak to inquire.

It was then that Pathak demanded the bribe. After negotiations, the sum was whittled down to Rs 10 lakh. Yash and I immediately left for Bangalore to pay the sum.” Manish claims that Rs 8 lakh was paid in cash, while Rs 2 lakh was deposited directly into an Axis Bank account in Pune.

“It’s now more than a year and my son is without a job,” Manish said. “I later learnt that the airline has not been granted an NOC by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).” On Friday, the Vithlanis filed a complaint against Pathak at Wanowrie police station.

Mirror attempted to contact Volk Airlines, but in vain. Pathak’s phone (the one available with the Vithlanis) appeared permanently switched off. Manish claims that the address provided for the mobile number — a Bangalore address — did not exist, and the Axis Bank accounts is Pathak’s Kingfisher Airlines salary account.

B D Mohite, senior police inspector, Wanowrie police station confirmed the complaint had been filed and that an investigation was on. When contacted, Arun Mishra, director, DGCA, said, “I have never heard about any airline by the name of Volk.” On questioning him about the rising corruption and illegal practice of asking candidates to pay bribes to secure jobs in airlines, Mishra refused to comment.

Another commercial pilot licence-holder, based in Mumbai, who had also applied to Volk Airline, said, “I had attended the written test and interview in Bangalore, but I haven’t heard from them since. Many people I know had passed the test and interviews, but the airline hasn’t got back to them. Several pilots from Go Air had also applied.”

Pilots in other commercial airlines claim that the practice of demanding bribes in return for jobs is rife throughout the industry.

A first officer with a prominent low-cost airline, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said airlines demanding money from job seekers is a common practice and is happening “in all airlines in the country”. “In fact, one cannot get a job of a pilot in an airline without paying money,” the pilot said.

“The bribe ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh. Recently about 7,500 commercial pilots from across the country appeared for written exams conducted by a leading airline last month. Each candidate had to pay Rs 2,500 to appear for the exam.”

Industry sources say that in the past, aspiring pilots had to pay bribes to clear DGCA exams such as Air Regulation, Aviation Meteorology and Air Navigation, to obtain a commercial pilot licence. The scenario is no different for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence exams.

Sources say the rates vary between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh to clear these exams. Now that the exams have moved online, corruption has reduced

I have never heard about any airline by the name of Volk

- Arun mishra, Director, DGCA

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