Paramount set to recruit 80 foreign & 200 local pilots in a year

Mumbai: The Coimbatore-based Paramount Airways, the country’s only fully business class airline, has decided to hire 80 foreign pilots over the next one year to meet the shortage of skilled local pilots.
Paramount will also recruit 200 local pilots in the current year in a staggered manner. The company’s existing 100-pilot-strong team already comprises 40% expats. The new foreign pilots are likely to get packages of around Rs 3.5 lakh per month, including an accommodation allowance.
Paramount managing director M Thiagarajan said the company conducted interviews in Chennai last week for recruiting foreign as well as local pilots. The second phase of hiring will take place in July, he added.
“We need more pilots as we are adding 10 aircraft to the existing fleet of six planes. We will increase services from the existing 1,800 flights to 2,500 flights per month by October,” said Mr Thiagarajan. India has about 1,000 foreign pilots working in domestic airlines.
Paramount forayed into eastern India last month, with flights to Kolkata, Guwahati and Agartala. It plans to add Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Cooch Behar to its network over the next year.
05/05/09 Mithun Roy/Economic Times