Air India: A pilot will be able to fly two different types of aircraft soon

The long pending demand of Air India gets DGCA's approval. Now, an Air India pilot will be allowed to fly two different types of aircraft. Earlier, Air India used to train only eight designated examiners for operating Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft. Four designated examiners will be trained for operating 777s and another four for flying 787s.

However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now approved Multi-Seat Flying (MSF), which broadly means that the same pilot can fly two types of aircraft and there will be a heavy training process.

The cross-utilization of existing pilots will be helpful for the carrier as it embarks on ambitious international expansion plans. Currently, there are around 700 wide-body pilots at Air India.

DGCA's decision:

The aviation regulator has told Air India that each of the eight designated examiners should have 150 hours of flying with at least 10 landings in terms of operating Boeing 777 and 787 separately.

The cross utilisation of pilots is being followed by airlines in around 16 countries.

Air India's ambitious plans:

Tata Group-owned Air India has around 1,825 pilots and is also hiring more pilots as the airline expands its operations.

Last month, Air India placed orders for 470 aircraft with Airbus and Boeing, including 70 wide-body planes.

The airline plans to triple its current fleet of 113 aircraft in a few years as it inducts new aircraft and refurbishes older planes as part of a bigger overhaul.

The airline will purchase 220 the planes from Boeing and 250 from Airbus.

Air India Ltd. expects to induct six Airbus SE A350 jetliners starting from the end of this year. The airline has kicked off a $400 million upgrading process that involves replacing all seats and in-flight entertainment systems with the latest generation products.

Last month Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said that there will also be significant customization in the design of the aircraft getting delivered to the carrier from 2026, making them a “truly Air India product".