NEED FOR HIRING HIGHLY SKILLED PILOTS

By BYRON BOHLMAN

The volume of orders for new aircraft by Indian carriers has been grabbing headlines for months – 492 from IndiGo and 470 for Air India alone. As if that wasn’t enough, IndiGo announced yet another order for 500 more A320 family airplanes at this year’s Paris Air Show. The move secured future positions on the burgeoning Airbus assembly line.

The more than 2,000 new aircraft that will join India’s airline fleets will need a small army of pilots, yet the supply of experienced personnel is limited. The need is critical after many retired during the pandemic or sought employment in other industries. The shortage is particularly acute in the USA where airlines are forced to park and accelerate the retirement