Airlines in India are not just increasingly flying international, but are also are scouting for expatriates to steer their airplanes to overcome the current shortage of trained pilots in the country.
Kingfisher Airlines, for instance, just concluded their interviews in Brazil and Venezuela and Jet Airways is not far behind either. It has advertised to hire pilots especially from the US. Kingfisher needs to add another 130 over the next one-year to its 70-strong roster now and Jet has a 25% shortage in terms of pilot requirement. A recent report by Ernst & Young says that currently 1,800 pilots service the entire fleet of over 200 aircraft in India.
However, to match the projected growth in the fleet size, an additional 2,400 pilots will be required by 2010.
Says Rubi Arya, head human resource, Kingfisher Airlines, ?We are conducting roadshows across the globe to hire pilots. Recently, we received several applications in a roadshow held in Rio de Janeiro on July 20. We met able candidates in Caracas, Venezeula too on July 24.? Says Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, chief executive officer, Jet Airways, ?We have over 550 pilots now and by 2008, we plan to have over 1,000.? The airline, he claimed, has recently received many applications from expatriates to join the airline. For expats, it’s a lucrative option.
?On average, an expat will fetch a 30% higher salary when compared to his domestic counterparts, which by itself is a whopping Rs 4.2 lakh per month,? says Arya. Agrees an official from SpiceJet, ?Foreign pilots in India earn the heaviest pay packets. An expatriate pilot flying a wide-bodied aircraft in India earns around $13,000 a month, as against $10,000 in other countries.? This airline too has applications from pilots based in Europe and US for its fleet.
An official from Air Deccan says, ?Training pilots is a lengthy process with a low success rate in India. We have ordered wide bodies aircraft for which deliveries are due from next year.?