(Image source from: Jet Airlines trying to poach Air India pilots for fatter pay})

With Jet-age poachers not only trespassing the airline's airspace, but also trying to woo their best pilots in sight, more woes seems ahead for country’s national carrier - Air India.

Reportedly, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and its Indian airline associate Jet Airways are trying to poach in Air India pilots, who fly wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft, to join them for double their current compensation.

Etihad had apparently bought a 24 per cent stake at Jet Airways for Rs 2,058-in October 3 last year.

Last year, Jet Airways vice-president (Human Resources) Dr Samar B. Srivastava, and US-basedagency AeroPersonnel Global hired by Etihad, had personally invited 140 Air India pilots, who fly Boeing 777s, to a roadshow held at Jet's Andheri (East) office in Mumbai on November 27 and 28.

This only goes to indicate that Jet-Etihad mass hunt for Air India pilots kicked off much ahead of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs decision to sell off five brand new Boeing 777-200s to Etihad on December 26 last year. 

From the current scene, several Air India pilots who fly 777s could now end up flying the very same planes for Jet Airways for a much fatter paycheck.

An e-mail to AI commanders from Mike Ethridge, Director Recruitment, AeroPersonnel Global, on October 28, 2013 said: "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 completed 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."

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury