Question : FOREIGN PILOTS IN INDIAN CARRIERS



(a) whether a number of Indian carriers have hired foreign pilots;

(b) if so, the reasons and details thereof, carrier - wise;

(c) whether the Government is considering to train more Indian Pilots; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF THE STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI PRAFUL PATEL)

(a) :- Yes, Sir.

(b):- Foreign pilots are engaged by the Indian carriers to meet the demand of type rated pilots. So far Directorate General of Civil Aviation has cleared 804 foreign pilots. The airline - wise break up is Indigo - 66, Paramount Airways - 21, Blue Dart - 10, Spice Jet - 42, Air Deccan - 149, Alliance Air - 20, Go Air - 13, Kingfisher Airlines - 95, Jet Airways - 271 and Air India - 117.

(c):- Yes, Sir.

(d):- The Government has taken various steps to reduce the gap between demand and supply of skilled Indian pilots. These include conditionally increasing the age-limit to 65 years for pilots for exercising the privileges of their licences for commercial transport operations under prescribed conditions, upgradation and modernisation of training infrastructure of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) to enhance its training capacity, setting up of a world class flying training institute at Gondia, Maharashtra and assistance to flying clubs by allocating trainer aircraft through Directorate General of Civil Aviation/Aero Club of India.