Airliners-India.com

karatecatman · Guest

IAF pilots may bail out Alliance Air

From Kalyan Barooah
NEW DELHI, May 12 – The Indian Air Force is willing to bail out Alliance Air to improve air connectivity in the North Eastern Region (NER) by supplying the Airline with its pilots and technicians, albeit on the condition that their personnel are given a good deal. Reeling under acute shortages of pilots, the Alliance Air had tried out various options like hiring foreign pilots to improve the regional air service in the North-east. Finally, it came around to the idea floated by the Parliamentary Panel to ask the Indian Air Force for help. The Airline had been laying the blame for its poor service in the Region to shortages of pilots and technicians.

Part of the problem was also because of the reluctance of the Airline to make Guwahati its hub of operations. “In all meetings, the issue of making Guwahati as a hub has been discussed. Due to shortage of pilots and technical support staff and unwillingness of pilots to stay in Guwahati, Alliance Air has agreed to operate only one ATR aircraft from Guwahati,” Ministry Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) said in its latest report submitted in the Parliament.

The Ministry of Defence has informed DoNER, which is finalising its proposal, that Indian Air Force has a vast pool of trained pilots and technical support staff who could be spared for gainful utilisation by Indian Airlines or Alliance Air only on permanent absorption basis. “The response has been conveyed to Ministry of Civil Aviation,” the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee was told.

According to its plans to develop the civil aviation sector in the North-east, the Ministry had appointed Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism (FAST) to prepare a feasibility study. Acting on its recommendations, the 53rd NEC meeting cleared the proposal to operate dedicated airlines in the Region.

Meanwhile, the proposal for opening a pilot training institute is alive. The NEC has included the proposal to open the Institute at Lilabari in Assam in its annual plan for the current fiscal. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has been asked for technical assistance and guidance in setting up the facility, the Parliamentary Panel was told.

www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=may1307/at05