The international low cost arm Indian carrier of the Indian carrier Air India, Air India Express is these days facing a shortage of 200 more pilots. The carrier is facing shortage to ensure smooth operations and increase its fleet utilization to 12 hours from the current six hours.
The airline company in a presentation to the civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said that they currently have 46 sets or 108 pilots available and will require 126 sets of pilots more. About 100 pilots are expected to join after they finish their training which they were subjected to due to the strike.
Singh after taking a note of the problem has advised the airline to induct the pilots from Air India that the problem of pilots shortage is solved in the interim. A senior civil aviation ministry official on the condition of anonymity said, “Taking a note of their problems, the minister has advised that 60 Air India pilots, who are currently being trained, should join the low-cost subsidiary immediately after the training. This will address a part of their shortage problem”.
The minister has also asked the airline to increase the fleet utilization to 12 hours a day from 5.69 hours at present. The carrier has 21 aircrafts in its fleet.
