DGCA to oversee airlines' expat pilots' phasing-out programme

Mumbai: With less than a year to go for domestic air-carriers to phase out their foreign pilots, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed all such operators to appraise it about their implementation plans of the same.
The DGCA has set July 31, 2010, as the deadline to phase out expat pilots and replace them with domestic ones.
“The operator shall furnish his plans for training of Indian flight-crew and provide due justification for employing foreign personnel along with their phasing-out programme every three months,” the DGCA said.
The aviation industry regulator has also decided to oversee the process to ensure that the expat pilots’ phasing-out programme is on track.
Simultaneously, Indian pilots should be trained and employed as co-pilots by the airlines, the DGCA said. Air-carriers would also now have to provide details about all the pilots, both Indian and expats, to the DGCA on a monthly basis.
There are some 686 foreign pilots employed with Indian air-operators, with 666 operating as commanders or senior pilots.
23/08/09 Zee News