Accident raises questions on pilots' expertise, training

Mumbai: The crash of Air India's Dubai-Mangalore flight has again raised questions on safety in Indian skies – putting a spotlight on the skills and working conditions of personnel handling these machines.
Are pilots in India, including those of foreign origin, up to the mark when it comes to quality of experience? Are thorough checks conducted on their training and expertise? And are airlines complying with FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitation) norms in the country?
The commander of the ill-fated flight was of Serbian origin and had an experience of around 10,000 flying hours and 7,500 on the Boeing 737-800 itself. The co-pilot with him, an Indian, had 3,500 flying hours and 2,700 clocked on B 737.
But the crucial part is their training and certification. “To say, that expat pilots are better than Indian pilots is not correct. In fact, their safety records are much better than ours, but, it is utmost important to check the credentials. Which unfortunately is not followed in India,” said a senior pilot of a private carrier.
22/05/10 Shubhra Tandon/Business Line

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