Pilots

Air India orders 34 trainer craft for cadet pilots at planned flying school

The order includes 31 single-engine aircraft from Piper Aircraft in the United States and 3 twin-engine aircraft from Diamond Aircraft in Austria

Akasa Air pilots flag training and safety practices, airline denies charges

The section of Akasa Air pilots wrote to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and highlighted alleged unfair practices, harassment and safety concerns.

Fog mandate: DGCA denies Akasa relief, enforces CAT-III pilot rule

The airline had informed the DGCA that without this exemption, its entire flight operations could face a "cascading" impact

New pilot duty, rest hours can be implemented from July 2025: DGCA to HC

The implementation of the revised rules regarding duty and rest hours for pilots has already been delayed by over six months

Training lapses: DGCA issues notices to two senior execs of Akasa Air

Sources indicated that these pilots, who received training on unqualified simulators, may be required to undergo simulator training again

Air Canada, pilots' union reach tentative agreement to avoid shutdown

Air Canada and the union representing its pilots have come to terms on a labor agreement that is likely to prevent a shutdown of Canada's largest airline. Talks betwen the company and the Air Line Pilots Association produced a tentative, four-year collective agreement, the airline announced in a statement early Sunday. The prospective deal recognises the contributions of the pilots flying for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge while setting a new framework for company growth. The terms will remain confidential until ratification by union members and approval by the airline's board of directors over the next month, the airline said. The pilots association said its Air Canada Master Executive Council voted to approve the tentative agreement on behalf of more than 5,400 Air Canada pilots. After review and ratification by a majority of members, the deal is expected to generate an additional $1.9 billion for the pilots over the period of the agreement, the union said in a statement. While

Air India fined Rs 99 lakh for operating flight with unqualified pilots

Regulator says incident in July had 'significant safety ramifications'

IndiGo aims to increase women pilots in workforce to over 1,000 in 1 year

IndiGo aims to increase the number of women pilots in its workforce to over 1,000 in the next year as the country's largest airline steers ahead with efforts to boost diversity and inclusivity. The airline, which is expanding its fleet and network, currently, has over 800 women pilots. Sukhjit S Pasricha, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at IndiGo, said the airline is driving inclusiveness in a big way by working in every area, including among engineering and flying staff. "In every work area, we are driving diversity and inclusivity. We have a 360-degree approach to it... we have grown by about 30 per cent in terms of women in engineering overall," he told PTI. According to him, the airline has the highest number of women pilots, which is now at over 800. The airline has around 14 per cent women pilots compared to the global average of 7-9 per cent women pilots in the workforce. "We will cross the number of 1,000 women pilots in one year (by August 2025)," he said. The airli

FIP grouping flags pilot fatigue; urges for revised norms implementation

Raising concerns about pilot fatigue, pilots' grouping FIP has urged the civil aviation ministry to take steps for implementation of revised norms on flight duty and rest period at the earliest. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which has more than 6,000 members, had earlier also written to the civil aviation ministry on the revised CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) for pilots after DGCA postponed their implementation. The revised CAR related to flight duty time limitation seeks to provide more rest time for pilots amid rising concerns over pilot fatigue. In March, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to postpone its implementation. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, FIP President CS Randhawa has requested him to direct DGCA to implement the revised CAR at the earliest. "...the action of the DGCA not only endangers pilot safety but also undermines the safety of passengers, which the implementation of the revised CAR could prevent," the

Anticipating pilot shortage, Air India to launch its own training school

Air India's initiative marks a departure from the traditional approach of Indian airlines, which have typically partnered with independent flight schools both domestically and internationally

Sub-Lt Anamika Rajeev becomes Navy's first woman pilot with 'Golden Wings'

Sub-Lieutenant Anamika B Rajeev has become the Indian Navy's first woman helicopter pilot after she received the prestigious "Golden Wings" at the passing-out parade at a naval air station in Tamil Nadu's Arakkonam. In another feat, Lt Jamyang Tsewang, the first commissioned naval officer from Ladakh, also successfully graduated as a qualified helicopter pilot, according to the Indian Navy. Sub-Lieutenant Rajeev and Lt Tsewang are among 21 officers awarded the "Golden Wings" by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, at the passing-out parade at INS Rajali, the Navy said on Saturday. The parade on Friday marked the successful culmination of an intensive 22 weeks of training programme encompassing rigorous flying and ground training at the Indian Naval Air Squadron 561, the alma mater of all helicopter pilots of the Indian Navy, it said. "Highlighting Indian Navy's commitment to gender inclusivity and expanding career ...

Germany looking into buying 8 additional Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets

The jets are equipped with advanced sensors and other gear, and nearly impossible to track with radar

Have stopped hiring pilots as there is sufficient strength: Akasa Air CEO

In September last year, Akasa Air was forced to cancel about 24 daily flights as around 43 pilots abruptly resigned to join rival carriers without serving their mandatory notice periods

Simaero to invest $100 million over five years to train 5,000 pilots

Last month, IndiGo placed an order with Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft at a deal size estimated to be between $4-5 billion

Air India announces salary hike, annual performance bonus for pilots

The new compensation structure, effective April 1, will see first officers and captains receive a monthly salary hike of Rs 5,000, while commanders' pay will be raised by Rs 11,000

What is in-flight turbulence, when does it become dangerous? Find out here

The death of a British man and injuries impacting dozens of other people aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence on Tuesday highlighted the potential dangers of flying through unstable air. The exact cause of the 73-year-old man's death is under investigation. Authorities said he may have suffered a heart attack, though that hasn't been confirmed. Based on witness accounts, the number of injuries and the airliner's sharp descent, experts point to the significant safety hazards that in-flight turbulence poses to airline passengers and crews. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions. Most incidents of planes hitting bumpy air are minor, however, and airlines have made steady improvements to reduce accident rates from ...

Air India Express: 85 flights cancelled; Air India to support on 20 routes

If a passenger's flight is cancelled or delayed more than 3 hours, they have the option to either receive a full refund on the flight or reschedule it for a later date without any additional fees

US strikes deal to boost aviation safety, to not raise pilot retirement age

The bill also requires airplanes to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit recording devices and directs the FAA to deploy advanced airport surface technology to help prevent collisions

Spirit Airlines to defer Airbus deliveries, layoff 260 pilots to save cash

A snag with Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines has forced Spirit to ground some of its A320neo aircraft, pinching the company at a time when it is already grappling with a cash crunch

One-third of Air India's staff hired in last two years: CEO & MD Wilson

Vistara airline, which is a 51:49 joint venture of the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, is in the process of being merged into Air India