Mumbai, Oct 29 (PTI) Private carrier Jet Airways hasphased out 30 expatriate pilots since April this year afterits domestic pilots union National Aviator's Guild (NAG)sought the removal of all such "expensive" pilots.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted full-service carrier, which ispartly owned by Gulf airline Etihad, has 54 overseascommanders still working with it. They too would be done awaywith over a period of time, a source privy to the developmentsaid.
The city-headquartered airline currently has over1,400 pilots on its rolls. The overseas pilots in Jet Airwayscommand its Boeing 737 and ATR fleet.
The NAG had in April this year issued a directive toaround its 1,000 members not to fly with the expatriatecommanders after one of the foreign pilots allegedly assaulteda trainer in Bengaluru.
The guild had also accused the management of treatingits domestic pilots in a "step-motherly" manner.
However, the boycott call was later withdrawn.
"Jet Airways has handed over pink slips to some 40 expatpilots in the last more than six months. However, 10 of themhave been hired again. So, in all, 30 foreign pilots havealready been sent back home till now. But we want all theseexpensive pilots to be done away with," the source told PTI.
The airline plans not to renew the service contracts ofsome more expat pilots, of the 54 still left with it, withinthis fiscal, the source said, adding, the carrier has alreadyplanned the removal of other such pilots as well over a periodof time.
In response to an e-mail query from PTI on the issue,a Jet Airways spokesperson said that the airline has only a"small percentage" of expatriates, which is in line with theDGCA norms for FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation),but did not comment on the removal of expat pilots.
"Today Jet Airways has an overwhelming majority ofIndian pilots with only a small percentage of expatriates,which is in-line with DGCA guidelines on FATA, as per which,all airlines are expected to duly justify expatriatesrecruitment as well have a nationalisation plan," thespokesperson said.
Jet Airways has been following a robust training andindigenisation programme, the spokesperson said, adding it is"committed to seeing a larger induction of Indian pilots."Demanding the exit of all expatriate pilots, theguild had, in a terse communication to Jet Airways managementin April, said, "The management has for a very long timetreated the Indian employees, including the pilots, in a stepmotherly manner and has disregarded the legitimateexpectations of its employee to be treated fairly, reasonablyand in a just manner." PTI IAS RAM GKSK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
