Days after the civil aviation ministry said there was a shortage of pilots, a fresh statement said that 15 per cent of the total number of commercial pilots i.e a total of 1500 pilots in India are women. This is three times the global average of 5 per cent the ministry further said.
The official statement further mentioned that there is currently no special program launched by the government to train women pilots. DGCA has approved over 30 training organizations in the country for training pilots. These organizations operate out of over 50 bases across the country.
According to the release, 244 pilots were hired by various airlines in 2021. Currently, there are 67 Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA) holders in India.” said the release. It noted that the country may need around 1,000 pilots per year over the next few years to cater to the rising demand for flights by various carriers in India.
It also noted that 67 expat pilots are currently working with various airlines in the country. According to the DGCA, there are around 10,000 pilots in the country. The civil aviation ministry has earlier said there was a shortage of pilots in India forcing carriers to seek approval to hire foreign pilots.
The annual requirement of commercial pilots depends upon various factors such as financial health of an airline, airline expansion plan and growth in the aviation sector,” Dr Gen VK Singh (Retd), minister of state (Mos) for civil aviation, stated in a written reply at the Parliament’s lower house Lok Sabha today.
