Fly with only foreigners in cockpit

New Delhi: In a move that could help airlines utilise their fleet optimally and not keep planes grounded due to shortage of pilots, government has decided to allow domestic flights even if both pilots in the cockpit are foreigners.
At present, rules stipulate the presence of a trainee Indian pilot in the cockpit if both the commander and the co-pilot are foreigners. This is to ensure there’s no communication gap between the pilots and the air traffic control (ATC) due to language barrier.
But getting trainee Indian pilots proved difficult for many airlines, especially the newer ones. To tide over the problem, government has decided on giving “case-by-case” clearance to expat pilots for operating domestic flights.
The clearance comes with a rider. The airline concerned will have to inform the aviation ministry about its programme to train Indian pilots so that the country can hope to get the required number of flyers in the coming years.
18/07/07 Times of India