RAWALPINDI: The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) Pakistan has expressed concern over the increasing employment of foreign pilots by domestic airlines, saying the practice was harming the country`s economic interests, the local aviation industry and the prospects of qualified Pakistani pilots.

In a letter to the secretary of the Aviation Division, Ministry of Defence, AOOA founder Imran Aslam Khan said the issue directly affected national economic interests and the future of hundreds of qualified Pakistani pilots.

He said domestic airlines were increasingly prioritising foreign flight crews over qualified and certified Pakistani pilots, leading to unemployment among local aviation professionals and an outflow of foreign exchange. According to Mr Khan, airlines were paying foreign pilots tax-free monthly salaries of up to $15,000, an amount that could provide employment to several local aviators at a fraction of the cost.

He said regulatory policies had previously allowed foreign flight crews to operate only on wet-leased aircraft for a maximum of six months, with a single six-month extension. The policy, he added, had protected local talent.

However, a recent amendment, introduced without consultation with key domestic industry stakeholders, extended the permissible period for foreign pilots to three years, he said. Mohammad Asghar