New Delhi: With the launch of international operations looming in September, Kingfisher Airlines says it  plans to take on board another 70 pilots of foreign origin. According to airline officials, these new hirings would be in addition to those already on its rolls.

The airline is due to take delivery of 10 wide body aircraft, intended primarily for its international services, and has now begun looking for pilots. Airline officials said  that these hirings are likely to take place close to the launch of international services.

Kingfisher had a complement of 110 foreign pilots on its rolls at the beginning of the year. It is not clear what their current strength is.

Domestic carriers had resorted to large scale hirings of foreign pilots to offset a shortage of Indian-origin pilots. The situation reversed itself recently as a large number of Indians trained abroad returned home leading to calls for the number of foreign pilots on the rolls of Indian carriers to be reduced. 

The situation again changed when a dramatic rise in the price of fuel forced a large number of carriers to lay off staff, including pilots.