Govt, airlines to address pilot shortage

As shortage of commercial pilots has started thwarting the expansion plans of the domestic airlines, the government and companies are gearing up to meet the challenge. With the airlines adding more than 300 aircraft over three to five years, the country needs 3500 additional pilots.

The government is trying to mitigate the shortage by providing additional training slots. Also, airlines are planning their own training houses, backed by the latest technology, including aircraft simulators.

According to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), operators in the Asia Pacific and West Asia would require 1,50,000 additional employees and China, India, Asia and the Middle East would be the most seriously affected.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has estimated that there was a huge gap between requirement of pilots and pilots trained by flying training institutes in the country.

"The government has delegated powers to the DGCA to allow foreign pilots for a period not exceeding 12 weeks with an Indian pilot for training. This will facilitate training Indian pilots for type endorsement on the particular aircraft," a government official said.

Industry analysts said this would accelerate training procedures for co-pilots to do his route check and certification. With new generation aircraft coming in and shortage of experienced Indian commanders, this measure will help to produce more pilots in lesser time, they added.