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India attracts foreign pilots to counter drastic domestic shortfall
By agencies
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Monday, 08 August 2005, 19:30 IST
LONDON: Indian airlines are being forced to recruit qualified European pilots to counter a potential domestic shortfall of trained flying officers.
Pointing out that India has been forced to hire foreign pilots, a media report here claimed "Air India is understood to have grounded aircraft because of a shortage of pilots."
Experts expect India to need up to 4,000 more pilots over the next five years and that training them will cost about $200 million, the Times daily said.
India's booming commercial aviation industry is taking off more rapidly than the country can train pilots, and so airlines are being allowed to recruit foreigners for the first time. At least 100 European pilots have been hired by new startup airlines and existing airlines.