Civil aviation ministry, IAF working together to induct retired military pilots for flying Dornier 228 aircraft, ET Infra
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NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation is working with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to induct retired military pilots in order to address the shortage of pilots who can fly the civilian version of the Dornier 228 aircraft.The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-manufactured civilian version of 19-seater Dornier 228, was introduced in the northeast region in April 2022 under the UDAN or regional connectivity scheme to connect remote places in the region.However, lack of trained civil pilots for Dornier 228 has emerged as a major impediment for the expansion of flight services under the scheme.'We are working with the (Indian) Air Force to induct their retiring pilots. For Dornier, the pool of pilots is from the Air Force only,' said a senior government official aware of the development. The official added that the ministry has undertaken several rounds of meetings with the IAF on the matter.Currently, the flight services in the northeastern states are being provided by government-owned Alliance Air which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics, to operate the India-made Dornier aircraft. The aircraft is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics at its Kanpur facility.In the last few years, senior officials from Hindustan Aeronautics have highlighted the issue of lack of trained civil pilots to fly the Dornier 228 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The aircraft manufacturer had earlier leased two Dornier 228s to Alliance Air.Highlighting that retired pilots from the IAF cannot directly be deployed for operating the civilian version of the Dornier 228, the official outlined that the pilots will have to undergo the necessary qualification and certification process mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).'Whether it is helicopter or fixed wing aircraft, defense pilots automatically are not qualified to be civil pilots. So, they have to go through the DGCA process,' the official said.'The process is a little bit shorter compared to a fresh person coming and becoming a pilot, but they have to go through it,' he added.The Dornier 228 small aircraft is an important part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation's strategy of creating a hub and spoke model of regional air connectivity in the country, linking relatively distant and inaccessible areas with major cities.
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