Shortage of pilots hits safety

Mumbai: Inexperienced and overworked pilots have become the order of the day as government-run as well as private airlines are splurging on new aircraft in addition to nearly a dozen private airlines having been launched in the last two years.
The shortfall has even compelled the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to permit pilots holding a professional licence to operate commercial flights till the age of 65 though subject to medical conditions.
"There are around 2,500-2,600 pilots flying in India," and in the next five years, India would require 5,000 pilots, he says.
Right now, most of the flying schools have become defunct because all the instructors have joined airline companies for lucrative pay packets.
An IA pilot, speaking on condition of anonymity, says: "No one ever contemplated such a situation in the Indian aviation sector and how to go about it but the truth of the matter is safety is going to be compromised across the country."
He wonders "why there has been 44 air misses in the last two years in the Indian air space and why no one has revealed the reasons for these occurrences".
26/04/06 Pamela Raghunath/Gulf News

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