Lok Sabha Question No. 1920 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-28
Subject: Shortage of Commercial Pilots
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Sunita Duggal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1920 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  28th July 2022 )

## SHORTAGE OF COMMERCIAL PILOTS

1920.    SHRIMATI SUNITA DUGGAL Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  Airlines  are  facing  issues  to  introduce  flights  due  to shortage  of  commercial  pilots  in  the  country  on  new  routes  or increase  in  frequency  of  existing  flights  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to tackle the issue as the Indian Civil Aviation Market is the fastest growing in the world; and
- (c) the details of data of licence issued to commercial pilots by the training academy after 2010, year-wise?

## ANSWER

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION      (Shri Jyotiraditya M&#46; Scindia)

- (a) to (c) There is no shortage of pilots in India.  There is, however, a marginal shortage of commanders on certain types of aircraft and the  same  is  being  managed  by  utilising  foreign  pilots  by  issuing Foreign  Aircrew  Temporary  Authorization  (FATA).  There  were  82 FATA-holders in India as on 30th June 2022, as compared to over 9000 pilots employed with airlines in India.

;

The  number  of  pilots  receiving  their  Commercial  Pilot  Licences (CPL) in India is increasing every year.  DGCA issued 862 CPLs in 2021, an all-time high.

The total number of flying hours at Indian Flying Training Organizations  (FTO)  increased  from  1.20  lakh  hours  in  the  pre-

COVID year (2019) to 1.62 lakh hours in 2021. The improvement in 2021  is  despite  severe  disruptions  due  to  the  COVID-19  second wave, Cyclone Yaas, Cyclone Tauktae, early onset of monsoons and rising cost of imported aviation fuel. The Government-owned FTO - IGRUA (Amethi, UP) - operated at an all-time  high  of  19,110  flying  hours  in  2021-22,  despite  the  severe disruptions  mentioned  above.    In  comparison,  before  COVID-19,  it operated 14,830 flying hours in 2019-20 and 14,039 flying hours in 2018-19.; The number of FTOs and the annual production of pilots is likely to increase further.  In 2020, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) came up  with  a  liberalised  FTO  policy  wherein  airport  royalty  payments (revenue  share  payment  by  FTOs  to  AAI)  was  abolished  and  land rentals were significantly rationalised.  ; In 2021, after a competitive bidding process, AAI awarded nine FTO slots at five airports at Belagavi (Karnataka), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and Lilabari (Assam). As on 30th June 2022, four of these FTOs - two at Kalaburagi and one each  at Jalgaon and Lilabari -have commenced commercial operations.; In  June  2022,  after  a  competitive  bidding  process,  six  more  FTO slots  were  awarded  by  AAI  at  five  airports  namely:  Bhavnagar (Gujarat), Hubballi (Karnataka), Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu).  ; The details of data of licenses issued to commercial pilots by the training academy after 2010, year wise is attached at Annexure. ******

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NUMBER 1920 FOR ANSWER ON 28 TH  JULY 2022

Year-wise details of Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPLs) issued after 2010

| Year                   |   Number of CPLs issued |
|------------------------|-------------------------|
| 2011                   |                     823 |
| 2012                   |                     654 |
| 2013                   |                     591 |
| 2014                   |                     896 |
| 2015                   |                     394 |
| 2016                   |                     537 |
| 2017                   |                     552 |
| 2018                   |                     640 |
| 2019                   |                     744 |
| 2020                   |                     578 |
| 2021                   |                     862 |
| 2022 (Till 30 th June) |                     699 |
| Total                  |                    7970 |