New US law may worsen Indian pilot shortage

Air India

117

Jet Airways

271

Kingfisher Airlines

95

Simplifly Deccan

149

SpiceJet

42

GoAir

13

IndiGo

66

Paramount Airways

21

Alliance Air

20

Blue Dart

10

Total

804

Source: Ministry of civil aviation

 But the US is increasingly being seen as a major source for experienced commanders given an estimated requirement for over 4,500 pilots in the next five years in India.  "The new law will make sourcing of the pilots from the US difficult for us now," admitted Air India executive director Jitender Bhargava.  Air India has about 800 pilots and of these 117 are foreign. The airline did not provide the number of US pilots, but Bhargava said the number was not significant.  Sources in Jet Airways, which has ambitious expansion plans both in India and overseas, said 100 of its 700 pilots are foreign and 15 of them are retired pilots from the US. A Jet spokesperson, however, refused to comment on the issue.  When asked how far the change in the US law will impact, Director General of Civil Aviation Kanu Gohain merely said,