After pilots' quick resignations led to flight cancellations, Directorate General of Civil Aviation says 6-month notice period should be mandatory
After pilots' quick resignations led to flight cancellations, Directorate General of Civil Aviation says 6-month notice period should be mandatory
Since 2005, 56 flights across airlines have been cancelled because Indian pilots have resigned without serving out their notice period.
So, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has emphasised that serving a six-month notice period has to be mandatory.
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The diktat comes after the Delhi High Court asked the DGCA to express its views on pilots seeking a waiver of notice period.
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Responsibility
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"It has been observed that pilots are resigning without providing any notice to airlines.
In some cases, even groups of pilots resign together without notice and, as a result, airlines are forced to cancel their flights at the last minute," said Dr Naseem Zaidi the director general, DGCA.
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Aviation expert Air Marshal S Ramdas added, "Pilots are highly paid for the responsibility they share with the airlines towards the travelling public and are required to act with extreme responsibility."
Held to ransom
A civil aviation ministry spokesperson said that such resignations and the resultant cancellation of flights causes inconvenience to passengers.
"Sometimes, such an abrupt action on the part of the pilots is in the form of a concerted move, which is tantamount to holding the airline to ransom and leaving the travelling public stranded," said the spokesperson.
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Both Kingfisher and Jet Airlines have already argued before the DGCA that it takes about four months to train a pilot to operate an aircraft used for commercial operations, as he has to pass technical and performance examinations, undergo simulator and flying training and undertake a Skill Test to fulfil licence requirements.
Training pilots
According to airlines, even after normal pilot training of four months, they can operate only as co-pilots.
To operate an aircraft as a Pilot-in-Command, they need to gain experience and undertake a Skill Test to fly, which may take another four months or so.
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