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.

Mr Khan said airlines could also exploit a loophole by rotating foreign crews, effectively making their employment indefinite and limiting opportunities for local pilots.

Ironically, he said, the cost of training a local pilot was less than a foreign pilot’s monthly salary, yet airlines were reluctant to invest in developing national talent.

“I am stressed to write that about 1,500 Pakistani pilots are jobless, while local carriers have hired more than 150 foreign pilots, draining over $2.25 million (Rs623.25 million) per month in much-needed foreign exchange,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2026