Foreign pilots gather tailwind in India

Mumbai: Foreign pilots in India earn the highest when compared with expatriate pilots elsewhere. While Indian carriers offer their expatriate pilots 30-40% more in terms of salaries and perks, in most countries, their pay is at par with local pilots’. An expatriate pilot flying a wide-bodied aircraft in India earns around $13,000 plus perquisites a month, while he gets around $10,000 in other countries. Indian pilots, on the other hand, earn only an average $7,000 a month, and are not entitled to perks like accommodation.
Operating costs of airlines also shoot up with expensive short-term contracts with expatriate pilots.
A key factor drawing expat pilots to India is the bankruptcy of carriers in their native countries. For instance, Delta Airlines went bankrupt in the US last year, rendering a number of pilots jobless.
21/08/06 Neelasri Barman & Sagar Malviya/Financial Express

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