AI gives wings to the dreams of 29 employees

Twenty-nine Air India employees, including six airhostesses, will soon join the national carrier in the cockpit as pilots. These employees, currently working as cabin crew, aircraft engineers and dispatchers have got the rare opportunity to fly aircraft thanks to Air India chairman Ashwini Lohani’s idea of grooming in-house talent.

These 29 who will soon receive their letters of intent (LOI) and join as trainee pilots on a five-year contract, qualified the technical knowledge test held on July 2.

In a letter informing them of their successful selection, Vikas Gupta, senior manager (personnel), said that the candidates would now undergo an endorsement course before joining the cockpit.

Of the 29, eight are deputy chief cabin crew members, 14 are senior cabin crew members, one is a senior aircraft engineer and two are from flight dispatch. An assistant manager in the commercial department will also be joining the national carrier as a trainee pilot.

Air India officials informed that a similar practice of grooming employees like loaders, baggage handlers, and cabin crew to become pilots was initiated by Malaysiabased budget airline, AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes.
23/07/16 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror