GoAir to recruit 100 pilots, 400 cabin crew this year

The carier has 72 Airbus A320neo on order and in FY 2017 it is expected to make a net addition of eight Airbus A320neo

GoAir will hire about 100 pilots and 400 cabin crew as it prepares for significant fleet expansion this year.

Its capacity expansion since launching in 2005 has been slow, at an average of two aircraft a year. It has 19 Airbus A320s at present and this is set to change. There are 72 of the A320neo on order and  in FY17, it is expected to make a net addition of eight of these. The first delivery is likely next month. “Our recruitment process is in place and we will hire foreign pilots when needed. Upgrade of eligible first officers to captains is also continuing,”  a GoAir spokesperson said in an e-mailed response. Currently, it has about 260 pilots and 400 cabin crew. It is operating 975 weekly flights to 22 destinations.  With new aircraft, the frequencies on existing routes should go up. It is also exploring launch of flights to Kuwait, Teheran and Male (Maldives).

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“This is a fantastic time to expand capacity, as the fuel price is low and demand is strong. However, the challenge for GoAir would be to attract and retain talent.  The airline has seen high levels of attrition and this needs to be addressed. There is a serious shortage of pilots across Asia and according to our analysis, nearly 1.5 pilots from every 10 will reach retirement age soon, and this is expected to spark a major demand for crew in the region,” said aviation consultant Mark Martin.