Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Air India facing shortage of commanders

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Air India (AI), which had initiated a series of steps to overcome the shortage of co-pilots, is now facing shortage of commanders with new aircraft ordered by it started joining the fleet.

“We have been able to get co-pilots. The boom in the aviation sector has forced many educated youth to go abroad, especially to the U.S., and to return with pilot licence. The shortage is confined to commanders,” accor ding to Chairman and Managing Director of National Aviation Company of India (NA CIL) Vasudevan Thulasidas.

Mr. Thulasidas, who was in the State capital recently, told The Hindu that AI would soon enter into an agreement with Alteon Training, a subsidiary of Boeing, to commence training of pilots in the country. As per the modalities being worked out, Hyderabad would be the base. The national carrier would also develop the training centre of the erstwhile Indian Airlines in Hyderabad into an integrated internal training facility.

AI has received 17 Boeing aircraft so far — four B777-200LRs, three Boeing 777-300ERs and 10 B737-800s for Air India Express, its no-frills airline. The fifth B 777-200LR that has joined the fleet will be used to deploy non-stop service between Delhi and New York effective from February 8. A total of eight Boeing 777-200LRs have been ordered by AI. The remaining three B777-200LRs are scheduled for delivery by middle next year.

The integration of Air India with Indian into a new entity will take longer. “Legally, the process had been completed on August 27, 2007. The consultants appointed for this had demanded 12-18 months, which is the beginning of 2009.

Brand wise, it is Air India even if you step onto flights of Indian, CMD of NACIL, which flies Air India, said. The anxiety of the employees had been dispelled and a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism had been set in motion for the employees. To a query, he said the opening of the Gulf sector to the private airlines had not made any impact on the passenger capacity. Mr. Thulasidas said the commencement of flights by Jet Airways from Kerala to the destinations in the Gulf had also not affected AI. In fact, AI had decided to increase the number of flights from Kerala to destinations in the Gulf.

The CMD said steps had been initiated to make Munich the European hub of AI. The modalities were being worked out and the hub would become operational by 2010. Once the hub was set up, the passengers travelling by AI to destinations in North America could use the airline’s Star Alliance partners.

AI would add value to passengers patronising member airlines of the alliance, Mr. Thulasidas said. Star Alliance network at present has 19 members.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

IHRD course
Capital to host Octave
BJP demands Ministers’ resignation
Air India facing shortage of commanders
CPI(M) State panel approves report
A new political map for Thiruvananthapuram Delimitation impact
Housing project
IMA opposes move for guidelines on practice
Fresh challenges before Congress
No universal standard for regulation of patents: Ekbal
Preparations on for Attukal Pongala
Kathakali artiste dies on stage
Science exhibition
Union Minister’s statement incorrect: CPI(M)
Socio-economic survey completed
‘Exert pressure on Centre for Bench’
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu