Page 2 - Pilots

Pilots, officers apprehensive of SpiceJet's salary hike announcement

Days after SpiceJet announced a salary hike for its pilots, a section of captains and first officers of the airline has expressed apprehension about the implementation of the revised remuneration citing terms and conditions. In a communication to pilots on October 19, SpiceJet said effective November 1, 2022, its captains' salaries will increase to Rs 7 lakh for 80 hours of monthly flying and Rs 6.13 lakh for 70 hours from the current Rs 4.5 lakh-level which was made effective from October 1, 2022. Accordingly, salaries of trainers and senior first officers have also been increased commensurately, the Gurugram-headquartered airline said. The trainers comprise Designated Examiner (DE), Type Ratings Instructor (TRI) and Line Training Captain (LTC). However, a section of pilots alleged that the airline has announced a hike in their remunerations while they are yet to get salaries at par with pre-COVID levels, a claim denied by SpiceJet. On an average, a captain is currently getting .

Air India gets 72,000 job applications for cabin crew; 1,752 for pilots

The airline's aggressive expansion plan, which has already seen 17 long-grounded aircraft return to the skies with 12 more to follow, necessitates a significant expansion in flying crew

Amid expanding fleet, Vistara looks to hire AirAsia pilots on deputation

Full service carrier Vistara is looking to rope in pilots on deputation from budget airline AirAsia India to ensure adequate crew for its expanding fleet of A320 planes, according to sources. Both airlines are part of the Tata group and the latest move indicates efforts to have more synergy as well as optimal use of manpower among group carriers. Tata group also owns Air India and Air India Express. Vistara -- a joint venture between the Tatas and Singapore Airlines -- has a fleet of 53 aircraft. These include 41 A320s and five A321s. The airline is planning to increase the fleet to 70 planes by December 2023. AirAsia India operates a fleet of A320 planes. "Vistara has sought some pilots from AirAsia India on deputation in view of the induction of new aircraft, a proposal which the budget carrier has consented to," one of the sources told PTI on condition of anonymity. Both Vistara and AirAsia India declined to comment on the matter. According to the sources, Vistara has been ..

China struggling to find trained pilots for three aircraft carriers: Report

China is struggling to find enough trained pilots to operate fighter jets from aircraft carriers, prompting its navy with two aircraft carriers commissioned and another launched in June, to speed up the pilot training programme, a media report here said. The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is struggling to meet increased demand for qualified ship-borne fighter jet pilots to operate the specially made J-15 jets for the aircraft carriers. The PLAN has sped up carrier-based fighter jet pilot training programmes in the decade since the commissioning of its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, but its lack of a fighter trainer specifically designed for carrier-based operations has hindered progress, according to an article published in Ordnance Industry Science Technology, a Chinese military magazine. With Fujian, China's third and most advanced aircraft carrier, having started sea trials last week, the PLA needed at least 200 qualified carrier-based fighter jet pilots to operate 1

Amid growing air traffic in India, pilots experience increased fatigue

Amid the country's growing air traffic and expanding aircraft fleet, fatigue among pilots seems to be a dark cloud with senior captains and pilots' groupings stressing on the need for more serious efforts to address the concerns. While regulations on flight duty time limitations and specific rest periods are in place, a more scientific approach as well as a better fatigue reporting system will help in tackling the "silent danger of fatigue", according to the senior captains. In signs that fatigue is a worrying factor for the fast growing Indian aviation space, a recent survey of 542 pilots by NGO Safety Matters Foundation showed that majority of them admitted to falling asleep without planning/ consent of the other crew or experienced micro sleep. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) -- a global grouping of airlines, including from India -- said fatigue has long been identified as a potential safety risk and the industry has developed extensive Standards and Recommende

Pilots' grouping seeks changes in fatigue management norms for flight crew

A grouping of pilots has sought changes in the norms regarding fatigue management for flight crew, saying the regulations should be based on scientific principles, operational knowledge and experience. Fatigue among pilots is a concern and there have been reports of pilots falling asleep while operating flights. A recent survey of 542 pilots by NGO Safety Matters Foundation showed 66 per cent of the respondents admitted that they have fallen asleep without planning/consent of the other crew or experienced micro sleep. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA), which represents pilots of narrow-body aircraft at Air India, has urged civil aviation regulator DGCA to do away with all the current regulations related to fatigue management for flight crew and formulate new norms. In a letter, dated September 12, written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the association also said that professionals, organisations and associations like ICPA should be involved while

SpiceJet says will hike salaries of senior pilots by 20% from October

The carrier earlier this week sent 80 pilots on leave without pay for three months to save costs

SpiceJet sends 80 pilots on leave without pay for three mths to prune costs

Loss making airline is currently operating less than half its flights, following a July 27 DGCA order brought on by a spate of incidents

Top headlines: KKR to invest in Hero's RE arm; CEA pegs FY23 growth at 7%

SpiceJet has sent approximately 80 pilots on leave without pay for three months in order to rationalise its costs.

Pilot threatens to crash plane into a Walmart store in US city, says Police

A pilot, flying in circles for over an hour, has threatened to intentionally crash into a Walmart store in Tupelo, a city in the state of Mississippi in the US, as security officials evacuated the store, police said on Saturday. Tupelo Police Department said in a press release that the officials had been able to begin talking with the pilot directly. Local police have started an evacuation of the Walmart and have asked residents not to go near the popular shopping store. Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given," the police said. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo, they said. The pilot is an employee of Tupelo Regional Airport, and the plane is 1987 Beech C90A, a nine-seater with two engines, the daily said. Its owner is Southeast Aviation, LLC, Oxford, Mississippi, it said. On 09-03-2022 at approximately 05:00 am TPD (Tupelo Police Department) was notified that a pilot of an airplane (possibly K

Why Capt Zoya Agarwal's flight into US aviation museum is significant

Becomes first female Indian pilot to join those who've contributed to advancement of commercial aviation

Can your pilot go off to sleep in the cockpit midair? Yes, but...

Both pilots of Ethiopian Airlines dozed off, missing the landing and causing safety concern

SpiceJet Durgapur incident: DGCA suspends pilot's licence for 6 months

Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended the licence of a SpiceJet pilot for six months following an incident where the airline's flight from Mumbai to Durgapur had faced severe turbulence and resulted in injuries to many passengers in May. In the incident that happened on May 1, as many as 14 passengers and 3 cabin crew members were injured. A senior DGCA official on Saturday said the licence of the pilot-in-command of the flight has been suspended for six months due to various violations. Among others, the pilot could have dealt with the bad weather situation in a better manner, the official said. There were no comments on the issue from SpiceJet. Since it was a serious incident, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was probing the matter. As many as 195 people, including 2 pilots and 4 cabin crew members were onboard the flight. Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said the 14 passengers and 3 cabin crew members suffered injuries related to

At 12.4 per cent, India has twice the number of female pilots as the US

Statistics raise questions about how a nation, placed 135th among 146 countries on the World Economic Forum's ranking of nations based on gender parity, was able to reverse the trend in the industry

Lufthansa seek to avert strike with confidential pay talks with pilots

German flag carier Lufthansa is set to hold confidential talks with Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the trade union representing its pilots, after striking a deal with ground staff last week

MiG-21 set to retire: A dive into the aircraft's long date with accidents

Over 400 Mig-21 fighter aircrafts have crashed since 1971-72 claiming the lives of more than 200 pilots and another 50 people on the ground, according to a news report

India, Uzbekistan agree pilot trade shipment through Chabahar Port

The shipment is expected to be executed in the next 15-20 days, an official in the know of the matter said

US approves amendment in defense budget to train Ukrainian pilots

The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment for the defense budget bill for 2023 to train Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets amid the reeling crisis in Ukraine

Hiring takes off in India's aviation sector as air traffic revives

Akasa Air to hire 175 people per month. Will have around 2,000 employees by March 2023

Aviation regulator suspends 2 flight training schools after surprise check

Among them is Chimes Aviation Academy which serves cadet pilot program of IndiGo, India's largest airline.