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| Edited By: DNA |Source: DNA |Updated: Feb 15, 2019, 06:10 AM IST
The long anticipated fear of flights getting cancelled due to shortage of pilots amidst the unprecedented capacity expansion by the Indian carriers in the recent years has finally come true. The problem, if not checked immediately, has the potential to put a brake on India aviation growth, which at present is among the fastest in the world.
Market leader IndiGo, which is adding nine planes every month, has cancelled at least 30 flights which is certain to cause pain not only to the airline's financials but also the fliers for no fault of theirs.
It's not just IndiGo which is facing the brunt as a similar situation may arise with other airlines sooner than later. The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that over 1,000 plane orders have been placed by Indian carriers collectively though the induction of pilots is not at the same rate. A report by aviation consultant CAPA predicts the Indian aviation industry, which has over 7,963 pilots, will need another 17,000 pilots in the next 10 years.
Unable to find enough senior pilots domestically, the airlines are forced to look for expats, which come at exorbitant costs. This further becomes a cause of friction between the local and expat pilots.
It is not just the pilots that are in short supply. The entire ecosystem urgently required to meet the fast capacity expansion is lacking in the country. Shortage of aircraft engineers, technicians, airline and airport management experts is also being increasingly felt.
