Govt mulls issuing multiple pilot licences

New Delhi: In a move that would address low cost airlines’ long-pending demand – and will also be a global first – the government is considering a proposal to issue multiple pilot licences. It will allow a pilot to fly more than one type of aircraft within a category of aircraft or in multiple categories.
According to ministry sources, in November, the directorate general of civil aviation had already relaxed the norms on flying helicopters. A pilot under a single licence can fly both a single engine copter and a twin-engine (two rotors) helicopter and can also fly two different kinds of copters in one day.
However, globally, no major airline currently allows a pilot to fly more than one type of aircraft. It’s considered unsafe because of the totally different cockpit handling of aircraft since they belong to different manufacturers.
International carriers like the Singapore Airlines, Emirates also do not allow their pilots, even the ones trained on both, to fly two separate kinds of aircraft.
09/01/07 Atreyee Dev Roy/Financial Express