Now, AMEs enjoy high-flying perks

Bangalore: The salaries of aircraft maintenance engineers have gone up by 30-60% in the last two to four years. The shortage of aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) in India, though not as severe as that of pilots, has led to this significant rise. The salaries of certified AMEs, holding multiple licenses, have risen from around Rs 50,000-90,000 per month in 2005 to Rs 1.5-2.5 lakh per month.
Indian is in the process of giving hikes to its 750 AMEs. “Depending on seniority, the hike could be anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 per month,” says Indian chairman Vishwapati Trivedi.
Salary package of AMEs at Indian is in the range of Rs 15,000-20,000 per month for a fresher to Rs 50,000-60,000 per month for experienced AMEs at entry level.
At SpiceJet, salaries at entry level range from Rs 12,000-15,000 per month at technician level (non-licensed) to Rs 1.5 lakh per month for certified maintenance engineers.
The pay package at Kingfisher Airlines, which plans to recruit around 40 AMEs this year, ranges from Rs 10,000 to 2 lakh. Similarly, low-cost airline Air Deccan, which currently employs 700 AMEs, pays Rs 65,000 to 2.4 lakh per month.
30/04/07 Urvashi Jha/Economic Times