(a) whether the Government has extended the tenure of foreign pilots engaged in various airlines;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the manner in which the Government will protect the interest of domestic pilots after such extension to foreign pilots?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI PRAFUL PATEL)
(a) and (b) The government has recently delegated powers to Director General Civil Aviation to grant permission for employment of foreign pilots upto a period of three years on merit, on case to case basis subject to adequate safety and security considerations. The foreign pilots are not only to be used for operational purposes for line flying but also to give type experence to Indian pilots to qualify for endorsement on type as co-pilots .
(c) This delegation is valid only upto 31-10-2010 and will be reviewed periodically taking into account availability of Indian pilots.