Are DGCA rules discriminatory against Indian Pilots?

This is the story of Captain Dhillon and Captain Stergiou. The former an Indian national, the latter a Greek, fly the mighty Boeing 777s from the left seat for an international carrier based out of Dubai. Both are in their mid-50s, have been in command for an excess of 15,000 hours, and both have an inkling to fly for a carrier that is based in India to experience a new adventure. 

But what follows next is something that will leave you enraged if you are a proud Indian. You see when they both expressed an interest to fly in India, Capt. Stergiou was asked to appear for an air law exam, produce minimal paperwork, and pretty much stroll into the captain’s seat of whatever airplane was available next. All of this within three months of their arrival in India. This above-mentioned route is called a FATA or Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization. Something that saves foreigners a lot of heartache and pain and enables them to fly as Captains in India in the shortest possible time.

Indian CPL ATPL FRTOL Licenses

Capt. Dhillon, however, at the end of eighteen months, is still counting down to the day when he will be handed his license. His journey for getting the Indian license though has been entirely different than Capt. Stergiou. For starters, he had to submit his 10th standard mark sheet, 12th standard mark sheet, 3 copies of identity, and a ton of inane paperwork. This is despite him having the exact same qualifications and experience as Capt. Stergiou. What is his crime, you may wonder? Well, because Capt. Dhillon is still an Indian national; he is unable to use the benefit of FATA. This weird rule in the Indian DGCA discriminates against Indians, giving foreigners an unfair advantage. 

FATA issued by DGCA (Source: Statista)

On further investigation, our team found out that the Indian DGCA is the only licensing authority that differentiates the process of getting a flying license on nationality, that too in a way that puts its own at a massive disadvantage. You see, when you apply for an FAA license (to enable you to fly an airplane that is registered in America) or an EASA license (to enable you to fly an airplane that is registered in Europe), or a license from any other ICAO country (to enable you to fly an airplane that is registered in that particular country) the process is doesn’t differentiate depending on nationality. For example, an Indian, a Brit, and a Portuguese can apply for an FAA license, and they will all need to do precisely the same amount of examinations and paperwork. But in India, any nationality apart from its own can take advantage of the shortcut route that is the FATA and stake claim to the limited jobs in the highly competitive job market. 

This is also the reason why many private jet operators in India continue to have foreigners as crew to man their business jets. 

It is high time that DGCA makes the process uniform for everyone and stops discriminating against Indians. As for Capt. Dhillon, he’s still waiting in anguish, wondering where his patriotism fell short.

Author of this article is a Professional Pilot employed at an International airline. He prefers to be anonymous.

As part of its endeavor to enter the advanced air mobility (AAM) field, Sikorsky is creating a hybrid-electric VTOL demonstrator vehicle, with its Matrix autonomous technology as the core of the new system.

The new vehicle will be our first foray into what the next generation of commercial aircraft will look like. However, it would have applications across different sectors, with the eventual goal of developing an electric propulsion system for both commercial and military applications- said Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations

The new technology will produce electricity using a turbine, according to Igor. The Lockheed Martin subsidiary will employ the Matrix autonomy technology as its primary operating system and is on pace to start producing the demonstrator aircraft sometime in 2023.

Recently, Sikorsky has worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further improve their Matrix autonomous technology, which is a crucial component of the Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS)

At the Project Convergence 2022 (PC22) technology gateway exercise, held in October 2022 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, DARPA and Sikorsky showcased the technology by showing off how an autonomous Black Hawk may carry out battlefield logistical operations. According to Cherepinsky, such applications would be the foundation of any commercial service.

Vertical Magazine

The crux is that the workload is much lower and the machine understands a lot of the basic flying and basic mission parameters. The aircraft can avoid obstacles, and it can pick landing zones. If you think about the commercial space, AAM is also in our sights- Cherepinsky said

One of the strictly commercial clients of Sikorsky that is interested in Matrix is now going through certification processes with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Due to corporate confidentiality, Cherepinsky was unable to go into more detail. Although the technology has the potential to be used in both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, he claimed that this platform is fixed-wing rather than rotary. Any helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft, including those produced by other firms, are subject to Matrix.

SOURCE : verticalmag.com

COVER : Vertical Magazine

ModAir Aviation is proud to announce the induction of the second aircraft under its wings after Tecnam P2006T. This inducted airplane is Diamond DA40, a flight training four-seater aircraft that touchdown at Ahmedabad.

The import of this aircraft is facilitated under the guidelines of IFSC – GIFT City. This aircraft would be leased to an upcoming FTO preparing to commence operations in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. Towards the end of December 2022, the Company would be inducting the third aircraft under their kitty, ready for another lease in the Indian Aviation Industry.

“We are excited to welcome the second aircraft under our Company. We take pride in supporting our Hon’ble PM’s vision. Very soon we would be inducting our third aircraft. Currently, the Company’s concentration is on the Fight Training category of Aircraft for the Indian market by Importing, Finance and Leasing aircraft to various FTO – Flight Training Organization in India.”

Atul Jain, Director, ModAir Aviation

ModAir Aviation is poised to support our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Vision for Skill Development through importing and leasing flight training aircraft for FTO for Pilot training, which would eventually benefit the ever-expanding Indian Aviation Sector.

The fresh leash of pilots, tomorrow would also be flying for various Scheduled, Non-Scheduled airlines as well as RCS Operators for the most concentrated programme of UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik).

“We extend our sincere thanks to the Government of India & the IFSC Authority for providing the required platform in the form of GIFT City, which surely proved to be a catalyst. Financing & Leasing facility has always been an outcry for the Indian Aviation sector. Earlier this, we used to glare at the facilities of the West, but not anymore now.”

Ashish Jaiswal, Chief Executive Officer, ModAir Aviation

ModAir Aviation IFSC Private Limited is one of the leading Leasing and Finance Companies based out of IFSC GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. ModAir Aviation deals in the purchase, sale and leasing of aircraft from across the world thru their worldwide network.

The company believes in the sourcing of aircraft at the most competitive deals to enable the Clients to keep the cost of acquisition to the bare minimum levels which helps to optimize the cash flow and concentrate on the other essential cost heads. 

Atul Jain, Director, ModAir Aviation

MODAIR is a part of Modish Tradex Pvt. Ltd Has been in business for over 30 years. They offer a wide range of luxury air charter services to suit every need – from chopper rides, helicopter rides, private jet booking and air ambulance services in Delhi, India at Modair.

They are operating across India, Modair provides air charter flights, helicopter charter, joyrides, aircraft leasing, private jet rental, private jet charter, and luxury helicopter charter and helicopter services for religious pilgrims. It also provides pilot training as well in India.

ALSO READ - ModAir launched India’s first tech-enabled air logistics company

Boeing is closing in on an order for as many as 200 of its B737 Max jets and 30 widebody B787s from Air India as the two sides race to wrap up talks before the year-end holidays, according to people familiar with the matter.

ALSO READ - Air India to finalise the deal of 50 B737 MAX for Air India Express

The final deal is expected to include 40 to 50 Max aircraft that were built for Chinese carriers but never delivered due to an extended grounding of the US jet and heightened trade tensions, some of the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are confidential.

ALSO READ - Boeing offers 737 MAX aircraft to Air India

A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment. Air India and Tata representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment outside of normal business hours.

Air India jumbo aircraft order to include B737 MAX and B787 Dreamliner

Broader negotiations over Air India’s fleet makeover have heated up in recent weeks as the management team eyes sweeping changes, including refreshing the carrier’s long-haul fleet with Airbus A350s and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jets and leasing used Boeing 777s to serve on international routes. The talks are complex, involving multiple parties including financiers and engine makers, and could drag into next year, the people cautioned.

With its large and increasingly mobile population, India has become a critical market for planemakers like Boeing and Airbus, even more so given China’s difficulties emerging from Covid. The country’s dominant carrier is IndiGo, the world’s biggest customer for Airbus’s best-selling A320neo family of jets, making it crucial for Boeing to build a better presence in the nation.

It was previously reported that Tata, which bought Air India back from the government for INR 180 billion in 2021, was considering orders for as many as 300 narrow-body and 50 wide-body, or twin-aisle, planes. Boeing is now offering several 737 Max jets once slated for Chinese customers to Air India as the planemaker tries to offload some of the roughly 140 aircraft it’s currently not allowed to deliver, Bloomberg reported in October.

Broader negotiations over Air India’s fleet makeover have heated up in recent weeks as the management team eyes sweeping changes

ALSO READ - Air India to refurbish its wide-body aircraft interiors by investing USD 400 million

Air India, established by Tata’s founder nearly a century ago before being nationalized in the 1950s, hasn’t made a profit in 15 years. It’s now in the early stages of a transformation plan intended to lift its India market share to 30% from about 9%. The carrier said last week it will invest more than USD 400 million to refurbish its wide-body jets as it tries to spruce up its image.

ALSO READ - Tata Group considering integrating all its airlines under the Air India brand

Tata is also consolidating its four airline units, bringing its Vistara, Air India Express and AirAsia India ventures under the national carrier’s brand. The order being considered includes taking some aircraft on lease with options to buy later, the people said.

ALSO READ - Air India to integrate AirAsia India with Air India Express by the end of 2023

Air India will also invest more than USD 400 million to refurbish its wide-body jets as it tries to spruce up its image.

Reuters reported earlier that Air India may order up to 500 jetliners from Airbus and Boeing, citing people in the industry it didn’t identify.

ALSO READ - Air India close to placing landmark orders for 500 jetliners

Reuters also reported that Air India is close to a deal to order more than 200 Boeing jets including 190 narrowbody 737 MAX and 30 widebody 787s - part of a historic fleet shake-up roughly split with Boeing's European rival Airbus. The deal is also expected to include an unspecified number of Boeing 777X long-range jets.

ALSO READ - Air India likely to order up to 150 Boeing B737 Max jets

Airbus is separately moving towards a deal with Air India including at least 200 of its A320-family narrowbody jets as well as dozens of larger A350s, industry sources said.

(With Inputs from Bloomberg and Reuters)

After receiving in-principle approval for inducting B777 aircraft on a wet lease basis from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA), IndiGo has now applied for final approval from the aviation regulator DGCA for these operations as per the prescribed procedure.

In coordination with the process of these approvals, IndiGo will soon make this 777-capacity available for sale on the Delhi - Istanbul - Delhi route, subject to regulatory approvals.

"We are working closely with the authorities to ensure all the required steps to obtain the approvals are completed well in time and will consider the earliest go-live date for these aircraft in line with the expected receipt of requisite approvals. This wet lease solution will also enable us to better utilize our A321 narrow-body fleet to continue our network deployment in light of the global supply chain issues."

Spokesperson, IndiGo

ALSO READ - IndiGo to debut with widebody aircraft for international expansion

IndiGo is planning to wet lease aircraft to meet the growing demand for air travel. Under a 'wet lease' arrangement, the lessor maintains operational control of flights while providing aircraft and crew. Generally, wet leasing of planes is allowed for short periods to tackle supply constraints and ensure that airfares do not surge significantly.

ALSO READ - Is wet leasing aircraft a good choice for Indian airlines?

IndiGo applies for final approval for wet leasing B777 from DGCA

Keeping in view the demand and growth in aviation traffic, Indigo is looking to expand its fleet and International operations.

ALSO READ - DGCA turns down IndiGo request to wet lease Turkish planes

Earlier in October, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had rejected IndiGo’s request to wet lease the aircraft from Turkish Airlines for a year (extendable by one year) because the rules allow for only three months, extendable by a further three months. Wet leasing in India is only allowed to overcome sudden capacity constraints.

The regulator saw IndiGo’s request as a diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier that would only feed the latter’s hub. After DGCA’s rejection, IndiGo approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation for special permission, which it has now acquired to induct the wide-body aircraft.

ALSO READ - DGCA allows IndiGo to wet lease Turkish Airlines planes

Keeping in view the demand and growth in aviation traffic, Indigo is looking to expand its fleet and International operations.

ALSO READ - Relief for IndiGo as Indian carriers can now wet lease wide-body aircraft for a year

On November 27, IndiGo said it has approached the ministry and received a communication conveying the ministry's approval to allow Indian carriers to wet/damp lease aircraft for six months extendable by another six months.

Such relaxation shall be available to all Indian carriers on their specific request, and the ministry will consider the same based on international destinations that the airline intends to operate, it had said.

Earlier, on the occasion of declaring recent financial results of the airline, Indigo CEO Pieter Elbers said, "We are on a steady path to recovery, benefiting from enormous opportunities both in domestic and international markets. With an industry challenged by global supply chain disruptions, we are working on various countermeasures to accommodate this strong demand. We have an unparalleled network presence enabling air travel to 74 domestic and 26 International destinations, we will continue to accelerate and build on this."

The ministry has also asked all the airlines to operate wide-body aircraft so that they can ferry more passengers from India to foreign countries.

As of September 30, a fleet of 279 aircraft, including 26 A320 CEOs, 149 A320 NEOs, 68 A321 NEOs, 35 ATRs and 1 A321 freighter; there was a net decrease of three passenger aircraft during the quarter. IndiGo operated at a peak of 1,630 daily flights with 76 domestic and 26 international destinations during the quarter, including non-scheduled flights.

The ministry has also asked all the airlines to operate wide-body aircraft so that they can ferry more passengers from India to foreign countries.

On Thursday, December 15 civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India's civil aviation market is poised for double-digit growth in the next decade and the country's carriers should have more wide-body planes to capture the long-haul segment.

Two pilot unions at Air India have claimed that there is a shortage of pilots to operate the airline's long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights. The concerns raised by the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) also come against the backdrop of the Tatas-owned airline recently cancelling and rescheduling certain flights to and from THE North American region due to crew shortage.

The unions represent pilots from both the narrow-body Airbus and wide-body Boeing fleets. The unions’ main grouse relates to increased flying duties, leave denials, and refusal to revert to pre-Covid overtime pay among others.

In a joint letter written to Air India's Chief Human Resources Officer Suresh Dutt Tripathi on December 13, the unions said, "…we cannot maintain the printed planned roster due to a shortage of pilots, as CMS (crew management system) does not have standby pilots."

Air India pilot unions claim shortage of flying crew; slam work schedule

There was no immediate comment from Air India on the letter. While IPG represents pilots of wide-body planes, ICPA represents those operating narrow-body aircraft. According to the unions, the number of leave denials and cancellations for pilots is also staggering.

Further, it has questioned the airline's decision to hire ex-pat pilots for the Boeing 777 fleet at a CTC (cost to company) that is "at least 80% higher with significantly higher leave benefits than what is being provided to its long-serving pilots."

"Since early 2022, the management has steadily but strongly enhanced the flying schedule. The under-crewed pilot workforce enthusiastically supported these expansion plans by accommodating constant roster changes and repeated pullouts, even on off days," the letter said.

Tata group took over loss-making Air India in January this year and has been working on expanding services as well as the fleet.

Tata group took over loss-making Air India in January this year and has been working on expanding services as well as the fleet. "Though management might refute the charges of crew shortage in public, the reality is there for everyone to see. On all fleets, and especially on the 777 fleets, pilots have flown well over 90 hours per month consecutively," it said.

They alleged that "more often than not, the schedule is managed, keeping the paperwork in order while the regulatory FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitation) may have been undermined… we will be forced to take steps by involving regulatory authorities to end this."

Besides, the pilots' unions have flagged that the airline is yet to restore certain components of the pay structure that were there before the coronavirus pandemic.

Pilots working with Air India have also warned of non-co-operation if restoration of pre-Covid overtime allowance is delayed

"We have aided in bringing Air India to the number one position in the on-time performance rankings, yet there is no appreciation by the management. At the very least, a company with such major expansion plans should have restored the pre-Covid overtime rates," it stated.

Pilots working with Air India have also warned of non-co-operation if restoration of pre-Covid overtime allowance is delayed, and if other practices they say are ‘discriminatory’ continues.

“We cannot assure that our members will undertake flying duties exceeding 70 hours a month. Any coercive action by the management will lead to industrial action to safeguard flight safety and the well-being of our members,” the Indian Commercial Pilots Association and the Indian Pilots Guild said in a joint letter to Air India’s management.

Earlier this month, Air India graduated its first batch of cabin crew trainees and new pilots since privatization.

ALSO READ - Air India graduates the first batch of cabin crew trainees & pilots; ready to take off on A320 fleet

Earlier this month, Air India graduated its first batch of cabin crew trainees and new pilots since privatization. The batch of 215 cabin crew and 48 pilots, all Indian nationals, have received their wings and are now ready to be deployed to operate as fully-qualified crew. Most of these crew members will join the airline's A320 fleet.

ALSO READ - Air India hits with Pilot & Cabin Crew shortage as it plans to expand internationally

Cabin Crew Shortage Hits Ultra Long Haul Flights of Air India

Earlier it was reported that Cabin crew constraints are impacting Air India's ultra-long-haul flights, with the Tatas-owned carrier deciding to either reschedule or cancel certain services to San Francisco and Vancouver, according to airline sources.

Recently, Air India had to delay at least six flights to US and Canada due to the unavailability of cabin crew. It was believed that flights were getting stuck due to engineering issues. The airline is doing everything in its hands to resolve this crunch of cabin crew. It has even tried to bring back the crew who had applied for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) earlier in November.

Air India had to delay at least six flights to US and Canada due to the unavailability of cabin crew.

The sources said the airline is either delaying departures or cancelling some of its ultra-long-haul flights amid cabin crew shortages and the situation is resulting in inconvenience to passengers in this peak winter travel season. Generally, ultra-long-haul flights are those having duration of more than 16 hours.

Amid a long waiting period for US visas, the airline has been facing a shortage of cabin crew and senior pilots for ultra-long-haul flights. In the wake of the cabin crew crunch, Air India had recently given an option to its cabin crew who had opted for its voluntary retirement scheme to extend their release date from the services by up to January 31, 2023.

Crew duty periods are counted from the time of reporting at the airport (two hours before a flight) and ends 30 minutes after landing at their final destination.