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Plane & simple: Kingfisher knows how to rub it in

Kingfisher asks pilots to renew flying licences on their own.

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Pilots of grounded carrier Kingfisher airlines who have not received their salaries for a year will have to foot the bill themselves for renewing their flying licences.

A recent communication sent to the pilots has asked them to keep their licences current by getting the renewals done at flying clubs.

“In order to keep your licences current, we are looking at getting your renewals done at flying clubs. Request you to update Training with the multi-engine aircraft endorsed on your Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) or whether you hold an Open rating,” states a recent email send by Capt Vimal Roy, head of flight operations training, Kingfisher airlines.

“With the new CAR on recency, this is the best option as simulator validity is only for a period of 90 days now, thus simulator training on type shall be planned as soon as we have a confirmed restart date,” the email states. Kingfisher airline Chairman Vijay Mallya at the company’s annual general meeting in September had said that they were in talks with a foreign investor to buy stakes in the grounded airline and that something could emerge in the next 90 days.

Though the pilots welcome the move to get the licenses renewed, they are upset over the idea of footing the bill themselves. Some Bangalore-based pilots of the airline, who did not want to be identified, said their licenses had expired as the airline was grounded. Further, they said that last year too they had met on their own the cost of renewing their licences, despite not being paid salaries.

The pilots said they had missed their Instrument Rating (IR) certification and the Line Operating Sight Training (LR). While IR certification has to be done every year the LR has to be done every six months.

“To the get the renewals done, we will have to shell out Rs2-3 lakh. Do you think we can afford so much money when we have not been paid for about 14 months now?” questioned a pilot.

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