Airline commanders can now have fewer flying hours' experience

To meet the growing demand for flight commanders, Indian carriers have resorted to decreasing the minimum flying hour eligibility criteria for a co-pilot to become a commander. The latest to have changed the criteria is Kingfisher Airlines, which has reduced the requirement to 2,500 hours from the current 3,000 hours.

According to the Civil Aviation Requirements issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), any co-pilot with 1,500 hours of flying experience and an Airline Transport Pilots Licence can become a commander.

A Kingfisher executive, on the condition of anonymity, explained they had carried out the process to fill the need for commanders, as many of the carrier’s pilots were leaving for other airlines in which they become commanders without many flying hours.

“Our pilots are leaving for other airlines operating Airbus aircraft with much less minimum flying hour criteria to become commanders. To stop the pilots from leaving, our airline has also brought it (minimum flying hour criteria) down to 2,500 hours,” said the executive. Kingfisher, IndiGo and GoAir operate only Airbus aircraft in their fleet. Air India and Jet Airways also have Airbus aircraft in their fleet.

A Kingfisher spokesperson declined to comment on the issue.

Analysts also feel it is dangerous to promote young pilots with fewer flying hours to commanders. “It is a very dangerous and unfair situation, as the captain flying with just 2,000 hours’ flying experience is like flying with a pilot who has absolutely no experience,” said Mohan Ranganathan, a Chennai-based aviation analyst, who has worked as a pilot with various airlines.

He that a commander of a Boeing 737 or A 320 short-haul aircraft should at least have 4,000 hours of flying experience. “Only with 4,000 hours of flying experience can a pilot experience flying in all weathers, otherwise it is actually risky,” he said, adding he had written to the DGCA to increase the minimum flying hours’ criteria for commanders.

IndiGo, which has the minimum eligibility criteria among Indian airlines, defends its position by saying the minimum flying hour experience should not be the only criteria. “We are now known for our strict selection criteria and training program. Minimum flying hours is only one of our criteria and not the only measure of competence. Ability, maturity, professionalism—all must be assessed,” IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh in a reply.

Airlines like Jet Airways and GoAir have the largest minimum flying hours criteria among Indian carriers for a pilot to become a commander—3,000 hours each.

However, when compared to established international carriers they are poorly placed. Singapore International Airlines' minimum eligibility criteria is 6,000 hours for one become a pilot and Emirates has kept the slab at 5,500 hours. Air Asia, which is aggressively expanding, has also kept its minimum flying hours’ criteria at 5,500 hours.