New Delhi: Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways has issued individual letters of offer to 140 top Air India commanders to ply its Boeing 777 aircraft.
An e-mail sent to Air India commanders from Mike Ethridge, Director Recruitment, AeroPersonnel Global, on October 28, states, “The Etihad- Jet Airways investment has been signed and has been approved by five of the six Indian Government agencies reviewing the deal.
"The last governmental approval should complete within the next few weeks. This will bring close to half a billion dollars in the coffers of Jet Airways. Jet intends to add another five B777s starting in the last quarter of 2014. This is on top of the fifty B737 NG order announced last spring.”
The e mail clearly indicated that Jet Etihad needs a good number of Boeing 777- rated pilots as soon as possible.
“As we need another eighty B777 candidates, do not hesitate to mention this opportunity to your friends and colleagues who could be interested,” the statement says.
The perks given by Jet- Etihad can definitely lure the pilots. The letters offer almost double the salaries and the company is ready to reimburse all recurrent training expenses besides hotel expenses.
However Air India commanders appear to be too loyal to their company as this offer could not tempt many pilots. Jet has only managed to get four to five pilots so far in spite of mouth watering offers.
The Union Cabinet had on October 3, 2013 cleared Etihad's Rs 2,058- crore infusion into Jet Airways for a 24 per cent stake. The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had approved sale of five brand new Boeing 777- 200s to Etihad on December 26 last year. That's why Jet Etihad is on a search for Air India commanders who fly Boeing 777s.
