By Leithen Francis in Singapore
A shortage of pilots has contributed to Air India’s move to seek wet-leases on long and medium haul aircraft for its immediate needs.
The national carrier is seeking up to four long-haul aircraft, two to be wet-leased for 11 months starting 1 October and two to be wet-leased for 21 months starting on 1 October, according to details in a tender document posted on Air India’s website.
The tender says Air India is also seeking up to five medium-haul aircraft, three wet-leased for two years starting 1 October and two wet-leased for two years from 1 March 2007, it says.
Aircraft types it will consider for long-haul are: Airbus A330-200, A340-300/600, Boeing MD-11, Boeing 747-300/400 and Boeing 777-200/300ER, it says.
Aircraft it will consider for medium-haul are: A310-300, A330-200, Boeing 767-200/300ER and Boeing 757.
Air India’s schedule starting in October shows the medium-haul aircraft are likely to be used domestically and for some international flights to Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
The long-haul aircraft will be used for some flights to the USA, United Kingdom and Canada.
This tender, for as many as nine wet-leased aircraft, is significant because Air India normally dry-leases and this surpasses the previous record set around 1999 when it sought wet-leases on five aircraft, confirms Air India’s top spokesman in Mumbai.
The spokesman says it wants aircraft because “we have 747s and A310s at the moment that are coming off dry-lease so we need to substitute that”.
The reason it is seeking wet-leases rather than dry-leases is because Air India has a shortage of pilots and in particular it “can’t get enough captains”, says the spokesman.
In January, Air India issued a tender for 20 777 captains, six 747 captains, 40 737 captains and nine A310 captains.
The spokesman says the airline has successfully recruited some foreign pilots and has 30 to 40 but it has failed to get all the captains it requires.
Air India also needs to increase its pilot workforce because in November it takes delivery of the first of 18 Boeing 737-800s on order and in February next year it gets the first of 23 Boeing 777s it has on order.
Source: Flight International
