Rohit Verma is one of some 4,000 unemployed pilots who fancy a turnaround in their fortunes with the impending entry of AirAsia.
Three years ago, Rohit Verma got a pilot's license and a type rating that allows him to fly Airbus 320 aircraft after spending Rs 33 lakh. The 20-something pilot is still waiting for his first job.
Verma is one among an estimated 4,000 unemployed pilots who now see a glimmer of hope with the proposed entry of Malaysian carrier AirAsia, an impending joint venture between Gulf carrier Etihad and Jet Airways as well as plans of other airlines to add aircraft.
"My hopes are very high with AirAsia coming to India; I also think my chances are better since I am type rated on the A320, the aircraft this airline uses. I have more flying hours to my name than many other unemployed pilots who are merely holders of commercial pilot licenses (CPLs)," says Verma.
Verma has a family business to bank on in these tough times; he is luckier than many of the other 4,000-odd who have financed their licences with big loans and had little choice but to shift to other professions — call centres is one popular option — to repay installments as high as Rs 40,000 per month.
Padmanabh is another aspiring pilot who considers himself luckier than the rest of his peers thanks to a diploma in mechanical engineering that he holds. "The educational requirement for becoming a pilot is just to pass Std XII. So many such guys have no other skills or a backup. My license is under process and I hope to be employed by middle or end of this year," says Padmanabh.
Ready to Fly
According to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there are 11,200 CPL-holders in the country, of which a major chunk is unemployed. Although at one time there was an acute shortage of trained commanders, which prompted domestic airlines to hire expat pilots in droves, their number has halved to a little over 300 over the past couple of years.
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com
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