Demand for airline pilots in India
Posted by airlinenews on May 21, 2006
Oklahoma state in the United States – home to hundreds of flying schools is seeing a rise in Indian applicants seeking pilot training.
The surge in application comes as India’s fastest growing airline industry is expected to face a shortage of 4000 pilots in the next ten years.
The desire to take advantage of India’s shortage of pilots is bringing students to flight school in America.
Puneet Nagi, a former second officer in the merchant navy for two years has made a mid-career shift and trains as a pilot.
“I always wanted to be a pilot but it was too expensive and it did not make sense then, that’s about 5 years ago but now the job market is good and I am making the most of the boom,” said the 26-year old trainee.
Training costs
Training in India costs between Rs 11-13 lakh and a similar program in the US costs about $ 33,000 or about Rs 15 lakh.
A commercial pilot license is issued in five months in the US and in India it takes a year.
Flight schools are currently looking at India as a serious market.
“When we look at the Indian market … we have incorporated all the DGCA requirements. They [applicants] only have to go back and take one exam,” said Frederico Rosendo, Admissions Officer with Riverside Flight School.
Those who train in the US choose to work there for a while only to repay loans they took to fund their training.
But students say job opportunities and the big money is only at home.
“There is a boom on in India and you want to be where the boom is,” says Nagi.
“Here [US] you have to start on a small airline but in India you can get an airline job and big aircraft.”
As the airline industry in the US is ailing, starting salaries for pilots in India is Rs 1.5 lakh a month.
Flight student Saurav Nagpal says, “if you spend Rs 15 lakh on the program that money could be recovered in the next few years”.
Visa hurdles
Getting your money back may be guaranteed but a visa to study in the US is not.
Since the 9/11 attacks, non-US citizens who apply to US flight schools have to undergo a security threat assessment, which includes finger printing at the sheriff’s office on arrival before one can have clearance to fly.
Many Indian parents wanted their child to be a doctor or an engineer – but making them into pilots seems to be the new Indian dream.
