IndiGo looks to hire 50 expat pilots to meet FDTL deadline

BELEAGUERED INDIGO IS preparing to tap pilot pools in South Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines as it races to meet the February 10 deadline to comply with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's revised flight duty time limitations (FDTL) rules, multiple people familiar with the airline's planning told FE.

- YARUQHULLAH KHAN

The carrier needs to secure around 160 additional pilots by the cutoff date, and a sizeable share of that requirement may now be met through expatriate hiring.

A senior IndiGo executive said the airline is looking at bringing in as many as 50 foreign commanders. IndiGo, he said, wants to avoid bidding wars with Indian carriers for the limited number of available domestic commanders and does not want to risk delays triggered by long notice periods or potential litigation arising from poaching. It has conveyed this position to the government and begun discussing faster clearances for foreign aircrew.