Jet to phase out some expat pilots

NEW DELHI: Largest private airline Jet Airways has firmed up plans to phase out some of its expatriate pilots and not fill other vacant positions in coming months as part of its cost-cutting moves.

The company will ���phase out excess expatriate pilots��� over the next few months and will ���not replace vacancies which arise due to staff attrition,��� according to reliable sources. When contacted, a company spokesperson confirmed the decision to trim foreign pilot headcount but declined to give the exact numbers.

���The excess foreign pilots over the next few months would be phased out, depending on capacity rationalisation. We do not have an estimate about the numbers at the moment,��� she said.

The Naresh Goyal-promoted company has 252 foreign pilots out of a total strength of 1,350 pilots.

The airline has already announced discontinuation of Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco flight as part of its route rationalisation exercise.

The Indian pilots had earlier demanded the removal of expatriate pilots.