Airlines in India scout for expatriate pilots

21 August, 2007:

Airline companies in India are scouting for expatriate pilots to overcome the current shortage of trained pilots in the country. According to a recent report by Ernst & Young, currently 1,800 pilots service the entire fleet of over 200 aircraft in India.

To match the projected growth in fleet size, an additional 2,400 pilots will be required by year 2010.

A report said that Kingfisher Airlines has already sealed its interviews in Brazil and Venezuela. Kingfisher Airlines needs to add another 130 pilots over the next one year to its 70-strong roster now.

Kingfisher Airlines is also conducting road shows across the world to hire pilots. It received several applications in a road show held in Rio de Janeiro on July 20, 2007. Candidates from Caracas, Venezeula are also waiting in the wings.

Meanwhile, Jet Airways, which currently employs more than 550 pilots, expects the need to grow to over 1,000 by year 2008. Jet Airways has a 25 per cent shortage in terms of pilot requirement and is said to have advertised to hire pilots from the US. It has reportedly recently received many applications from expatriates to join the airline.

For expatriates this is a lucrative option. On average an expat will get a 30 per cent higher salary when compared to his domestic counterparts, which by itself is a whopping Rs 4.2 lakh per month.