One-year extension for foreign pilots likely
and beyond.
Currently, Indian airlines have a fleet exceeding 750 aircraft, of which at least 160 are grounded. Despite a move towards hiring more Indian pilots, the need for experienced expatriate senior pilots remains critical to fulfil operational requirements.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), foreign pilots are granted Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA) licences, essential under current regulations that prevent foreign pilots from operating beyond December.
During the early 2000s, the rise of carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet, and the expansion of Jet Airways and Air India led to a surge in the hiring of foreign pilots, due to a domestic shortage of trained commanders for commercial narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
In 2007, there were 804 foreign pilots in India, with significant numbers at major airlines such as Jet Airways and Air India. From 139 expat pilots in 2016, the number soared to 892 in 2019, coinciding with a 44.3%
The need for experienced expatriate senior pilots remains critical to fulfil operational requirements
rise in domestic air traffic to 144.1 million passengers.
However, this figure plummeted to just 67 in 2023 due to the global aviation disruptions caused by the pandemic, with many pilots returning to their homeland or accepting lucrative offers in West Asia. “The drastic reduction since 2019 was also on account of the onset of covid pandemic as pilots returned to their homeland or then got hired with lucrative packages in the Middle East,” an airline executive said, on condition of anonymity. “As Indian airlines expand and with the consistent growth in air travel demand in India, there is a strong possibility of an uptick in the expat commanders going ahead.”
Experts argue that completely phasing out FATA may be unrealistic given the ongoing pilot shortages and fleet expansions. “FATA will get extended on application by airlines. It is given to only captains, not co-pilots. As airlines keep getting airplanes, captain shortage will always exist and so will FATA for both large and small airlines,” said Shakti Lumba, former head of operations at IndiGo and Alliance Air.