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Just days after Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed the parliament that there is “a marginal shortage of commanders on certain types of aircraft”, Air India (AI) on Monday announced that it would give select pilots an extension till the age of 65 as against the current retirement age of 58.
The plane truth
While Scindia had conceded to a shortage of commanders and added that there was no shortage of pilots, AI said the decision was being taken “considering the future expansion plans for our fleet.” It cited the DGCA regulations which allow pilots to fly till the age of 65 years — a practice, AI said, was followed by most airlines in the industry.
So, who’s eligible?
A screening process, which will take two years to kick in, will select pilots who would get an extension of 5 years, extendable up to the age of 65 years — the criterion for selection being an unblemished flight safety, discipline and vigilance record of the pilots.
The pilots so shortlisted will be given a letter of intent one year before their superannuation at 58 offering them a post-retirement contract which will be reviewed annually based on their performance, conduct and flight safety record.
Twin objectives?
The modus operandi of giving extensions rather than raising the retirement age enables AI to prune its workforce and also retain experienced pilots. Moreover, granting them extension on a contractual basis, rather than retaining them as employees could possibly lead to substantial cost savings in employee benefits that are usually not available to those working on contractual basis.
The plane truth
While Scindia had conceded to a shortage of commanders and added that there was no shortage of pilots, AI said the decision was being taken “considering the future expansion plans for our fleet.” It cited the DGCA regulations which allow pilots to fly till the age of 65 years — a practice, AI said, was followed by most airlines in the industry.
So, who’s eligible?
A screening process, which will take two years to kick in, will select pilots who would get an extension of 5 years, extendable up to the age of 65 years — the criterion for selection being an unblemished flight safety, discipline and vigilance record of the pilots.
The pilots so shortlisted will be given a letter of intent one year before their superannuation at 58 offering them a post-retirement contract which will be reviewed annually based on their performance, conduct and flight safety record.
Twin objectives?
The modus operandi of giving extensions rather than raising the retirement age enables AI to prune its workforce and also retain experienced pilots. Moreover, granting them extension on a contractual basis, rather than retaining them as employees could possibly lead to substantial cost savings in employee benefits that are usually not available to those working on contractual basis.
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