Expatriate pilots hired by airline operators in India will henceforth have to undergo the ?air regulation examination? conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) like their Indian counterparts. They will also have to submit an authentification certificate from the licence issuing authority of their respective country, in addition to their commercial pilot licence (CPL).
In a communication to airlines last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has also made it mandatory for airlines to verify that the pilot has a valid endorsement on his license of the type of airplane he would be flying. Currently, there are 498 expat pilots in India employed by various airlines.
Says Sudhakara Reddy, president of the Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), ?In April this year, due to the negligence of a pilot of the Indonesia-based Garuda Airways, the airplane burst into fire and 23 passengers aboard were killed. Similarly, a pilot in the Philippines also miscalculated the landing, resulting in a minor accident.?
Reddy adds that after several such reports of accidents in countries from where airline operators are recruiting pilots appeared in the media, his organisation shot a letter to the DGCA in May this year emphasising the need for tightening the rules and regulations for hiring expats. According to the current rules, a pilot has to complete 700 hours of flying before being hired by an airline. Also, before hiring, it must be ascertained whether they have had experience in flying in heavy monsoon conditions. However, these norms would now be extended to expat pilots.
Meanwhile, HR officials from Kingfisher and Jet Airways, amongst other airlines say that they are scrutinising all aspects of the probable candidate to be hired by their company. They shall comply with the DGCA norms while recruiting the pilots. The official from Kingfisher adds that passenger safety and the credibility of the airline is at stake if recruitments are not benchmarked with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards of which India is a member.
However, AK Chopra, joint director general (DGCA) says Reddy has recently assured him that pilots who are not fully trained to fly in such situations will not be allowed to fly in India. ?Though there have not been any mishaps in the Indian aviation sector, rules have to be followed,” says Reddy.