No pilots for Air India Express's planes

Mumbai: Air India has bought seven new Boeing aircraft for its low cost operations. These are perhaps the best ones so far in its fleet with features like leather seats and in-flight entertainment.
However, the planes stand grounded at Air India’s hanger in Mumbai, as there are no pilots to fly. Besides, soon there will be four more similar planes parked unused.
“We are short of cockpit crew. We have 62 foreign pilots and we are continuously recruiting pilots, converting young pilots and air-force pilots as co-pilots. We hope to keep pace as new aircraft join our fleet,” said Captain PP Singh, CEO, Air India Express.
During the current vacation session, when airlines attempt to maximize revenue by trying to keep as many planes on air, grounding aircraft is not only a waste of revenue but also an opportunity lost.
As Air India and Indian merge, the combined entity will be taking delivery of over 100 planes. With the problem of shortage of pilots only increasing, for Air India there is little time in hand.
28/05/07 Rumi Dutta Hardasmalani/NDTV.com