Pilot turbulence hits airline majors

NEW DELHI: Dearth of skilled manpower is the latest scourge to plague the Indian aviation sector, which is already battling problems of increasing fuel prices, stiff competition and high interest rates. The added burden of lack of skilled manpower is compelling the aviation sector to scout globally and end up with increased people costs.

Consider the following — an amateur captain needs training of at least 7 years and the cost of getting a commercial pilots license (CPL) is anywhere between Rs 13-14 Lakh. Besides, there are many institutes to impart training at the executive level but very few pilot training institutes.

There are around 30 to 35 pilot institutes in India today, quite a few of which are inactive. Currently there are 2500 commercial pilots in India and the total number of aircraft is around 190.

“The industry was dormant till a few years ago which is why most of the flying clubs closed down. We will face the shortage for another 5-6 years. The only solution till then is to employ skilled personnel from abroad,” Captain GR Gopinath, MD, of Air Deccan told ET.

Of the 400 pilots that Air Deccan has, 112 are expats. Similarly of the 65 GoAir pilots, 14 are expats. Some of the other airlines are also said to have employed expats.

The latest report by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) estimates that operators in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East will require 150,000 additional employees to support the new aircraft currently on order.

The CAPA report suggests that countries such as China, India and those in the Middle-East are expected to be the most affected due to a serious shortage of skilled personnel such as pilots and engineers after record orders for new aircraft.

“We have ordered 20 aircraft which will be delivered over a space of 3 years. We have been facing shortage of pilots and for the last one year we have been hunting around the globe for them. For our expanding operations we are also looking at expat pilots” said Jeh Wadia, MD, of GoAir.

With this shortage, the safety of the passengers is also at stake reckon some heads of the aviation industry. “Imagine a Greek pilot flying an Indian aircraft, endangering the lives of thousands of passengers, as he cannot communicate
effectively with the Aeroplane Traffic Controllers (ATCs).

This hypothetical situation can soon become a real life situation as Indian aviation sector is facing a skilled manpower shortage and might have to hunt recklessly around the globe for pilots and engineers.” said Ankur Bhatia, CMD, The Bird Group, a service supplier to the aviation industry.