DGCA may double 6-month notice period for pilots

NEW DELHI: A bitter fight has broken out among Indian carriers over the issue of 'old' airlines trying to retain their prized pilots and 'new' airlines aiming to poach them for their expanding fleets. Things have come to such a pass that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is reviewing its over a decade-old rule of having six months' notice period for pilots. The old and established airlines have sought doubling of pilots' notice period to a year.

The DGCA has now sought individual views of all airlines. Highly placed sources say established airlines like Air India and IndiGo are in favour of one-year notice period, while 'new' airlines from the Tata Group like Vistara are against raising the notice period. Even some old airlines which are now going to expand their fleet are against the proposal for a year's notice period.

"There is differed opinion among airlines on this issue. Unfortunately nobody looks at this issue on the basis of legality. A final call will be taken after due dilligence by current DG B S Bhullar. His predecessors were not in favour of extending the notice period," said a highly placed source.

Air India To Recruit 500 Pilots, 1,500 Cabin Crew

Air India may recruit about 500 pilots and over 1,500 cabin crew in next two to three years to meet the requirement as the fleet size is expected to increase considerably, a senior official has said.

"We are planning to have 700 more pilots in the next two to three years keeping in view the fleet expansion. From last August till now, we have already recruited 250 pilots. So about 500 more pilots we are going to recruit. Advertisement for 400 pilots has already been floated," AI's General Manager (Operations) N Sivaramakirshnan told PTI.

Last year, Air India had sought to recruit 200 trainee pilots (senior trainee pilot license holders who come with A320 endorsement). However, it could select only 78. Now all those pilots are flying on various routes, he said.

Nearly 150 pilots are expected to complete their training by December this year. According to him, the present strength of pilots is 858 and the beleaguered airlines lost about 100 pilots during the last two years.

"We have plans to have cabin crew of 3,000 personnel. Besides the existing number, we are planning to take 1,500 more in the next two to three years," he said.

The official said Air India envisaged fleet expansion of another 100 aircraft in the next four years' time.

On training facilities for pilots, the official said currently they have three simulators in Hyderabad and four in Mumbai. The simulators in Hyderabad belong to A320 while the four in Mumbai belong to Boeing family.

"We are planning to order one more simulator for training on ATR aircraft in Hyderabad. RFI (Request for Information) has already been floated. By January next year we hope that it would be operational," he said, adding that the cost of the simulator would be about Rs 65 crore and an additional Rs 6 crore is needed for construction of building and other facilities for the ATR simulator.

Though Air India does not have any ATRs in its fleet, services will be provided to its wholly-owned subsidiary 'Alliance Air'.

AIR INDIA DELHI - SAN FRANCISCO - DELHI FLIGHT TO GO AROUND THE WORLD FROM NEXT MONTH

From next month Air India aircraft flying on the Delhi-San Francisco (SFO)-Delhi route will circumnavigate the earth as it will go round the world in less than 36 hours. The Maharaja currently takes the western route while flying Delhi to SFO by crossing the Atlantic, covering a distance of 13,900 km in up to 17 hours. And it flies back home taking the same route in an hour less.

From next month, AI plans to fly east to SFO by crossing the vast Pacific Ocean. While this route is almost 1,400 km longer, the Boeing 777-200 (long range or LR) aircraft will get only strong tail winds on its eastward journey and cut flying time by up to three hours. On the return, the plane will fly over the Atlantic. Thus by the time the plane reaches Delhi, it would have gone round the earth is just about a day-and-a-half.

The B-777 200 LR, on an average, burns 9,600 litres fuel for each hour of flying. Reducing the flying time to SFO from an hour (in summer) to three hours (in winter) will mean huge fuel saving. The new route, thus, promises to a win-win for all as travellers will reach SFO faster and the airline will burn less fuel.

"The earth rotates from west to east and winds also flow in that direction. Flying west means facing strong headwinds (that decreases an aircraft's actual ground speed) and flying east means getting strong tailwinds, which does the opposite. While taking the (western) Atlantic route to SFO, we usually face headwinds of 24 kmph. If our aircraft is doing 800 kmph, its actual ground speed is 776 kmph. Taking the (eastern) Pacific route to SFO will mean getting tailwinds of 138 kmph which will make the aircraft have an actual ground speed of 938 kmph," said a senior AI official.

Hyderabad Mishap because of terrible planning

Improper planning resulted in the crash of the decommissioned Airbus 320 aircraft on Monday. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was not followed while transporting the massive structure by road. Police were also not given details of the transport plan. North Zone police has booked a case against Air India and Durga Crane Services under IPC Section 336 for negligence.

Even the wings of the aircraft had not been dismantled. The aircraft, stripped of its engines and seats, was being carried by a crane. Durga Cranes, the operator, has never transported a full aircraft before. Air India’s Central Training Establishment (CTE), Director, Soman Atul said the hull weighed about 20 tonnes.

Two cranes and two trailers were brought. The crane capacity was over 100 tonnes each, said Mr Raavi Chakradhar of Durga Cranes that was hired as third party by Air India.

The crane company claimed it had carried equipment weighing over 50 tonnes before but did not give details. The aircraft has a wingspan of 150 feet, while the road was not half as wide. Though CTE officials planned to hoist the aircraft 50 feet and take it by road, they had not considered overhead cables. But they added personnel from TS discom were following the crane to ensure power is shut down along the route.
Mr V.N. Bharat Reddy, director, aviation, Telangana state government, said the safest way to transport a decommissioned aircraft is to dismantle it. “A standard operating procedure with route map should have been prepared,” he said.
11/04/16 M Roushan Ali/Deccan Chronicle

Air India introduces yoga sessions for its newly-recruited cabin crew and pilots

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government's penchant for yoga has rubbed off to the state-run carrier Air India.

The airline has introduced yoga sessions for its newly-recruited cabin crew and pilots that are currently undergoing training. It is also planning to organise a two-day workshop for its senior management comprising of the rank of general managers and above at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of living Ashram in Bengaluru.

Every crew member currently being trained has to attend yoga sessions in the morning at 6.30 am, a senior Air India official said. Yoga sessions for pilots will begin from June 1, when their training starts.

Mihir Mishra/The Economic Times

ONE IN THREE PILOTS FAIL PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST IN AIR INDIA HIRING DRIVE

A stringent psychological test for pilots in the wake of the Germanwings disaster has led Air India to reject nearly a third of the prospective candidates.

The airline might find it difficult to fill posts for senior trainee pilots for Airbus A320 aircraft.

Air India had advertised in February it would hire 197 pilots for the 60 A320 aircraft it uses in the domestic network. Around 260 candidates were called for the first round of a simulator proficiency test and 160 were chosen for interviews, the final step in hiring.

On Wednesday, Air India made public the names of 106 shortlisted candidates. The actual number could be even lower because 19 are on a standby list. Effectively, the airline has hired 85 pilots, not even half its total requirement. These are type-rated pilots, those experienced in flying A320 aircraft. Airlines usually prefer type-rated pilots because they can be put on duty immediately, as opposed to first training them.

Air India used an independent psychologist from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to check mental fitness of the candidates. Most of the 56 rejected were found psychologically unfit, sources said.

Last month, the co-pilot of a Germanwings flight had deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board. This raised alarm among aviation authorities worldwide and the focus turned to the mental fitness of pilots. India, too, will frame rules to check the mental health of pilots.

"All the candidates found suitable by the selection board, which includes a psychologist, and taking into account the marks obtained in the simulator proficiency assessment check (SPAC) and the personal interview, have been empanelled for the post of senior trainee pilots," said G P Rao, spokesperson, Air India.

FALLING SHORT

AIR INDIA SOON TO OPEN A RECRUITMENT FOR COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENSE (CPL) HOLDERS FOR ITs AIRBUS FLEET

After rejecting nearly a fourth of its candidates — type-rated pilots certified to fly Airbus — invited for the ‘senior trainee pilot’ post on the grounds that they failed the psychometric test, Air India is now looking for holders of a commercial pilot licence, not specialising in a particular aircraft type, to fill the vacancies, a senior Air India official has told FE.

The airline, which has a mandate to hire 197 pilots for its Airbus fleet, had earlier invited only type-rated pilots for the vacancies. About 260 candidates made it to the first round of a simulator proficiency test, and 160 of them were chosen for an interview and psychometric test, the final hiring step. The carrier finally selected 78 pilots after they successfully completed the final round.

Type-rated pilots are those certified to fly a certain aircraft type, which requires training beyond the scope of the initial licence.
“The airline will now invite holders of commercial pilot licence (CPL) for the vacancies in its airbus fleet. It will begin advertisements for it by the beginning of next month,” the senior official said.

However, CPL holders who participate in the recruitment process will have to face a tougher interview schedule.

UNRULY AIR INDIA PASSENGER RIPS UP ARMRESTS FOR BEING DENIED EXTRA DRINK

The Calicut Airport Police have registered a case against an unruly Air India passenger who uprooted the armrests of his seat on being refused a drink on flight AI 921, plying the Riyadh-Calicut route. The flyer, Thatethil Nijesh, attacked the armrest with such violence that two seats - 30 B and C - were rendered inoperative, forcing AI to reduce its flying roster by a couple of passengers until such time that the damage is repaired.

Nijesh was detained by the Central Industrial Security Force when the aircraft reached Calicut and subsequently handed over to the police. The incident occurred on Sunday night.

Nijesh was on the return leg of the flight from Mumbai, which passed through Calicut. He was served two drinks along with his meal. "This passenger asked for a third drink. We complied, but he kept asking for more," an AI official said, adding that Nijesh combined whisky and beer. "Upset at not being served a fourth drink, he threatened to hit a crew member. When he continued to argue, the crew requested Nijesh - who was walking up to the galley and back - to settle down. This is when he in a fit of rage broke two armrests."

AIR INDIA EXPRESS TURNS 10 YEARS AND FLIES INTO PROFIT FOR FIRST TIME

Air India Express, Air India’s Kochi-based subsidiary, which turns 10 this month, has for the first time made a net profit.

Though the airline has not revealed the quantum of net profit, it has been said in a statement that its operating revenue had gone up by 10 per cent to ₹2,600 crore in the last financial year. It was planning to raise the operating revenue by ₹200 crore in the current fiscal. Its passenger carriage had gone up by 13.8 per cent last year. The airline, which mainly caters to the Indian migrant workers in the Gulf countries, is planning to expand its operations by taking on lease eight 737-800 NG aircraft next year to add to its current fleet of 17 such aircraft, which are wholly owned by it.


Air India Express began its operations a decade ago with three leased aircraft and flying to six Gulf destinations from three Kerala airports. It now connects 11 Indian cities to 12 international destinations, in the Gulf and South East Asia. Its present fleet size comprises 17 state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft that are wholly owned by the company.

- BL

‪#‎BreakingNews‬: Finally, Boeing & Air India's MRO in Nagpur takes off with arrival of Boeing's 777 aircraft.

The first aircraft took an hour to cover the 3km distance to the MRO. The entire movement was calibrated to avoid any risk.

The MRO built by US aircraft giant Boeing Inc will be run by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL). The company hopes to formally inaugurate the set-up by the month end, with chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the event.

Source: EconomicTimes

AIR INDIA PILOTS SLAM DGCA OVER DUTY TIMING

After an Air India (AI) pilot was pulled up for reaching the cockpit one minute late, pilots on Sunday complained that the system to ascertain their reporting time is flawed. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a notice to AI pilot captain R Rana on Wednesday demanding an explanation for reaching a minute late.

The DGCA regulations stipulate the crew to report 45 minutes before departure to complete the pre-flight medical checks. The reporting time of a pilot is then ascertained by a physician's watch. The pilots claim that the timings can be synchronised using a GPS but no such action has been taken as yet.

"We think DGCA is overstepping its mandate. Show-cause notices have been issued even when flights departed on time. DGCA's action has put the pilots under stress. It's ridiculous to single out a pilot for a minute's delay," a pilot complained.

Captain Praveen Keerthi, general secretary, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, said, "We are willing to cooperate with DGCA and are issuing instructions to pilots to report exactly 45 minutes before departure. The management should hire more doctors at the airports for pre-flight medical checks to avoid delays."

An Air India spokesperson said, "We are looking into the matter and will take necessary action."

- TNN

AIR INDIA IS IN TALKS WITH BOEING TO CONVERT PART OF 787-800 DREAMLINERS TO 787-900s

Air India is in talks with Boeing to replace part of the 787-800 Dreamliners it has ordered with a bigger version of the aircraft, executives at the national carrier and the US aircraft manufacturer said.

Air India has already received 18 of the 27 Boeing 787-800 Dreamliners it had ordered and three more are scheduled to be delivered through June this year. That means, the option to convert to the 787-900s, which can carry more people and travel farther, is limited to the remaining half a dozen planes. "We might convert at least three of our Boeing 787-800 to Boeing 787-900," an Air India official said. Boeing confirmed the move.

AIR INDIA MAY FACE A MAJOR PILOT SHORTAGE BY 2015

National carrier Air India (AI) may face a major shortage of pilots next year.

According to an internal analysis done by the airline, AI would need about 260 pilots by October 2015.


The airline would need about 185 co-pilots for its Airbus A320 fleet and about 75 pilots for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet by 2015 winter schedule, the analysis said.

“There will be a need to hire co-pilots very soon,” a senior AI official said.

The state-owned airline has already transferred about 50 Boeing 777 (B777) pilots to its low-cost international arm — Air India Express.

Air India Express has a fleet of Boeing 737 (B737) aircraft and conversion of pilots from B777 to B737 can be done easily.

“Moving B777 pilots to B737 is a good move. B777 co-pilots, who should have become captains long back, will get command on B737 aircraft,” said Rajji Rai, an aviation industry veteran.

However, when contacted, an AI spokesperson said the airline had enough pilots and there was no question of any shortage in the near future.

“We have about 1,600 pilots and there is no shortage in either narrow or wide-body fleets. As far as the Boeing 787 is concerned, we have a training programme so that adequate pilots are available as new planes join the fleet,” he said

233 PILOTS (131 JET, 102 AIR INDIA) HAVE BEEN CAUGHT FLYING WITH LAPSED LICENSES IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS

The next time you take a flight in India, keep your fingers crossed and hope that your pilot is flying on a valid licence, not a lapsed one.


Air India has discovered that as many as 102 pilots of its wide body Boeing fleet have been flying without clearing a mandatory test that helps keep their licences valid and without which the same lapse.

The airline informed the downgraded-by-US directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) which, worryingly, failed to detect on its own the flying by so many pilots with lapsed licences.

The AI admission comes on the heels of the regulator last month finding that 131 Jet Airways pilots were also flying without clearing a mandatory biannual exam - meaning on a lapsed licence.

FUND-HIT AIR INDIA CRACKS WHIP ON 4 SENIOR PILOTS, TO RECOVER RS 2 CRORE (U.S. $ 333,000 )

Surviving on tax-payers' money, loss-making Air India has for the first time begun cracking the whip on pilots who fly very little but get paid a lot. The airline has slapped recovery of Rs 2 crore on four executive (senior most) pilots. AI will now deduct their salary by upto Rs 3 lakh ( $ 6,000 ) a month to recover the extra payment made to them.

Erstwhile AI pilots get paid for fixed 80 hours a month and their erstwhile Indian Airlines' colleagues get fixed pay of 72 hours a month, irrespective of the actual flying done by them. Those who fly for more than these levels get paid at a higher rate as an incentive for working hard.

SUPREME COURT RAPS GOVT OVER STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AIR INDIA

With Air India grappling with financial crisis, the Supreme Court has rapped the government for giving "profitable routes" to private carriers and asked it to plan a turnaround in the national carrier saying it "faces extinction" if things continued like this.

"Why many lucrative routes have been given to private carriers," a bench comprising justices Vikramjit Sen and Kurian Joseph observed while expressing concern over Air India taking a beating against private airways, post merger of Air India and Indian Airlines.

The bench, which wanted the Civil Aviation Ministry to consider various issues plaguing the national carrier, also said other area of concern was the priority given to private airlines with Air India aircraft being asked to hover around during the peak landing hours causing huge loss of money on fuel.