NEW DELHI: India is considering revamping pilot training by gradually moving away from the current system, where a student has to first earn a commercial pilot licence (CPL) and then do type rating separately for a specific aircraft, to a unified “multi-crew pilot licence” (MPL) system. Directorate General of Civil Aviation will hold a meeting with stakeholders on the issue on Wednesday. If approved, both systems will co-exist, and operators will have the flexibility to choose what best meets their requirements of safety and operational efficiency.This is the second big change India is contemplating in this field, after proposing to make students who from Class 12 arts and commerce streams eligible to pursue CPL – a field reserved for science students with physics and maths in 12th since mid-1990s. As the fastest growing aviation market globally, govt is clearly keen to take steps to meet Indian carriers’ requirement for pilots in coming years.At the moment, cadet pilots have to first do CPL that involves, among other things, flying training aircraft for 200 hours. They then need to do simulator-based type rating for specific aircraft like Airbus A320 or Boeing 737.MPL will require them to fly a small training plane for about 70 hours. Then they will do simulator training for 140 to 160 hours. Subsequently, airlines will induct them as trainees on that type of aircraft. Approved by International Civil Aviation Organisation, MPL has been adopted by over 50 airlines globally, like Lufthansa, Etihad, flyDubai and Singapore Airlines.“We will evaluate both the systems and take a considered view on what is best in terms of ensuring high training standards and meeting airline requirements. MPL was considered by us in the past too. There has again been a request to consider the same and that is being done,” said senior govt officials. If approved, MPL will be introduced gradually over 2-3 years and CPL will continue to exist for non-airline students.An integrated programme, MPL “lays emphasis on developing key competencies that are essential to safely operate modern commercial aircraft. It can be tailored to specific aircraft type and the operational philosophy of airlines which will ensure a steady stream of pilots”, said a senior pilot.“MPL should have been adopted several years ago to meet India’s growing aviation needs… MPL aligns better with modern airline operational realities than the current CPL system which is outdated for a fast-developing aviation sector. India needs 2,000-plus new pilots annually over the next decade,” said another captain.Opposing MPL, a senior captain said: “Our regulatory system lacks necessary robustness to adequately oversee and enforce MPL program standards consistently.”
About the Author
