Air India faces pilot exodus
16 Jun 2011
New Delhi: The story just gets worse for embattled flag carrier Air India by the day – an exodus of pilots from its ranks is a looming possibility. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to set aside a rule that mandates a pilot to provide six-month notice to an employer before exiting.
Reports suggest that more than 20 pilots have already exited the carrier over the past one month to join private carriers. All the pilots who have quit in the last one month did not serve the mandatory notice period.
The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that an airline's schedule is not paralysed because of mass resignation of pilots.
Reports suggest that many more pilots are expected to quit over the coming weeks.
As the flag carrier's woes continue to mount, private domestic players, like Indigo, who are currently on an expansion spree, and international carriers, particularly from the Gulf, are making lucrative offers to Air India pilots.
IndiGo has already declared its intention to hire 200 pilots over the next 18 months.
