The Hindu Business Line : Govt considering raising retirement age for pilots

"We are in consultation with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to raise the retirement age of pilots from 60 to 61 years. This is being done in view of the shortage of pilots within the country," the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, told newspersons here today.

A final decision on the issue would be taken soon, the Minister said and added that the Ministry was also considering raising the age limit of the flight trainers at the state-owned Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA).

Besides, to overcome the shortage, the Government has asked the DGCA to consider ways to increase the turnout of pilots from IGRUA in Uttar Pradesh. The DGCA will look at ways and means of ensuring that the Academy, which was a premier institution at one time, is brought back to its earlier days of glory.

It is likely to consider the functioning of academies in different parts of the world and how some of their working styles can be incorporated here. The need of bringing in jet trainers to the Academy would also be examined.

The decision of existing airlines to expand their services and the entry of new airlines into the domestic sector has seen a shortfall in qualified pilots.

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