Pilot shortage aggravated by
lengthy work permit process
~ Schedule cut back on all destinations ~
AIRPORT--Hampered by the lengthy and inefficient employment permit application process, Windward Islands International Airways Winair is facing a serious pilot shortage that has forced the airline to cut flights to all its destinations. Until the required number of pilots is employed, the airline will be operating on a limited schedule.
The airline management requested a meeting with government to discuss its plight and issues with the permit process in April. To date, no meeting has been set, leaving Winair facing an uphill battle to maintain its schedule with a limited number of pilots.
Winair requires at least five more pilots to supplement the 25 it has now, to allow for a schedule that better connects the islands it serves in the Northeastern Caribbean. Unable to find qualified Antilleans to fill the posts, the airline has been trying to attract foreign nationals, but the process to acquire the necessary employment documents has been a huge headache, Managing Director Edwin Hodge told The Daily Herald Tuesday.
“I am not flying the schedule I would like. Even with the additional five pilots, we will still be operating at a marginal level. We need more pilots,” he said. Illustrating the severity of the situation and the need for government to handle permit requests in a speedier manner, Hodge said that on Winair’s busiest day so far for this year, January 5, one of the aircraft had just had to be parked at Princess Juliana International Airport, because no pilot had been available.
After searching for some time, a pilot from outside of the Netherlands Antilles was offered a contract to help boost the airline schedule from January to April. All paperwork for him was submitted in January, but only a part of the process was completed. By this time, the term of the contract offered was up and the pilot went on to another job he had lined up, according to Hodge.
With the worldwide demand for pilots, countries with more streamlined and timely permit-processing are snapping up the pilots while Winair is creeping through the lengthy process to acquire the necessary employment and residence permits for pilots it wants to import.
When a qualified pilot is found, the airline has to obtain all documents from the pilot, submit these to Island Labour Office where they are checked to ensure all the requirements are met. Following this, proof of registration is received after Winair pays the mandatory processing fee to the Island Receiver. The initial process takes about three days.
From experience, Hodge said that after Winair provided the proof of payment to the Labour Department it took approximately one week to process the proof of registration and to send all the paperwork to the Executive Council for approval.
In tandem, proof of registration and all other required documents for the pilot are submitted to Police Affairs for the residence permit.
Once all documents are in order, an appointment is made for the processing of the declaration act of guarantee. The paperwork is then sent to the Lt. Governor and the Immigration Department for approval.
Winair is appealing to the Central and Island Governments to streamline the process within two weeks from documents submission to landing permit receipt, which would allow the pilot to acquire the airport pass to carry out the required duties.
“This will furthermore enable Winair to provide the required airlift that all the islands require, and will also help in getting additional aircraft to better serve the travelling public and consequently improve Winair’s financial situation,” according to the airline management.
