Jet Pilots' body against extension of deadline for expats

Expressing concern over the government's reported move to extend the deadline to phase out expat pilots, Jet Airways pilots today said the move would affect the locals who are without jobs for long.
"We are concerned about the extension of the FATA deadline, especially when there is a downturn in the aviation industry and there are fewer job opportunities for the domestic pilots," Jet's pilots body National Aviatiors Guild said in a letter to aviation secretary K N Srivastava.
Expat pilots are issued a Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) to work in India. According to the DGCA, there were 340 expat pilots employed by both scheduled and non-scheduled operators till last year.

The government has set a December 2013 deadline for doing away with foreign pilots but it is reportedly mulling to extend it further.
The letter by the Guild also comes in the wake of Jet planning to hire 100 expat pilots as part of its expansion plans, notwithstanding its earlier stand on phasing out of such pilots.
Pointing out that there are estimated 5,000 commercial pilots Licence (CPL) holders in the country without job, the Guild said, "If the top of the pilot pyramid is filled up by foreign nationals, the Indians will not have an opportunity to move up, thereby denying jobs to the huge number of unemployed pilots (with CPL)."

The primary reason given earlier for hiring expats was the unavailability of domestic pilots, the Guild said, adding "now there are many experienced pilots available in the country, who are currently without jobs."

It is indeed "surprising and disheartening" to see that the airlines in the country are more keen to hire foreigners than drawing talent locally available, the letter said.
Without naming its own employer, the Guild went on to say, "the impunity with which some operators are advertising for foreign nationals at this point in time with a one year extendable contract shows that they believe the Civil Aviation Ministry would be easily convinced by their argument of shortage of pilots."

Jet Airways, during the post Q2 earnings analysts call last November, had said it was aiming to reduce the number of expat pilots by almost half by the end of FY13.
"By March 2013, we will reduce (the number of expat pilots) to 59 from 107. As of March-end 2012, we had 207 expat pilots," Jet senior vice-president for commercial finance investor relations, KG Vishwanath had told analysts.