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| Jet Airways lays off 30 expat pilots |
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Jet Airways has terminated the services of 30 expat pilots from its 737-400 fleet according to reports. A Jet source confirmed the development. "Yes, this is true. Four of these planes were grounded and we don't need so many expats," he said. Asked if this was the beginning of a gradual easing out of expats from Jet, he replied, "Yes, we'll ease them out in future, depending on how many planes will be grounded." Jet has some 258 expat pilots, with 198 flying the B-777s and A-330s and 60 piloting the 737s. Most of the expats in various airlines fly the modern wide-bodied, long-range B-777s and the B-737-800s. Indian pilots have been demanding the removal of expats as airlines cut back costs. "Why target us when expats are an expensive drain on our country? With dollar appreciation, they're now getting 15-20% more salary," says an Indian commander. A foreign commander gets roughly £13,000 per, compared to an Indian who gets about £8,000. There are other perks, including expensive five-star accommodation, which push up costs to the company further and travel allowance that could be as much as £6,000 a year. There are some 900 expat pilots in India. The Indian Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this year gave a written directive to airlines to submit a phasing-out plan for expats and how they intended to train Indian pilots. The deadline for easing out expats for all airlines was July 31, 2010. These expats were taken at a time when Indian commanders were in short supply but with the glut among co-pilots, that's no longer the case. - Agencies Related Articles:
Last update: 07-11-2008 00:50
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