(Anjali Shreya, Intern Journalist): In the last ten years, 798 pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have resigned. This shocking disclosure has been made by the Indian Air Force itself in response to a right to information (RTI).
The IAF is facing a severe shortage of pilots. On February 1, 2018, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Air Force had 3,855 pilots against the sanctioned strength of 4,851. So in 2018 itself, the Air Force was facing a shortage of 376 pilots. This situation is not compatible with the preparations of the IAF.
In 2016, 100 pilots and in 2017 114 left the Indian Air Force. In 2015, 37 pilots resigned before retirement. 2015 was the year in which the lowest number of pilots separated from the Indian Air Force compared to any year of the past decade. Otherwise, on an average 80 pilots are resigning every year.
In response to this question, “How many pilots who left the Air Force before retirement joined private airlines”? In response to this question, the Directorate of Personnel Services, Air Head Quarters said, because information about officers joining private airlines no such data is kept. This public authority provides NOC to join private airlines.
IAF pilot earns around 2 lakhs in a month,
This clearly shows that 289 out of the 798 pilots who resigned received a No Objection Certificate for private airline flights. This directly means that more than one-third of the pilots who left the Air Force in the last decade are flying commercial flights.
A mid-level IAF pilot earns around 2 lakh a month but his income can increase up to four times when he joins a private airline. Most IAF pilots leave the Air Force after completing 20 years of service, which entitles them to pension.
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