Salary cutsand job uncertainty are driving pilots in Indian carriers to greener pasturesabroad, with as many as 25 pilots believed to be heading for the Gulf.

Pilots from Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines are expected to join leadingGulf carrier Qatar Airways. Jet Airwayssaid it has no information of its pilots quitting. "I don't think there isany truth in it. We have not got any intimation of that sort from anypilot," a spokesperson said.

Last October, Jet Airways had announced the retrenchment of about 1,900employees after a strategic alliance with Kingfisher. It, however, took backthe employees following widespread protests.

During the same period, senior Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines officialsannounced massive expansion plans in India, saying the country was not only animportant market but also an important source for personnel including crew.

"Forty percent of our team is from India. We will continue to keep addingpeople, as the current global turmoil has not affected our operations. Since wecater to a wide variety of countries, our crew should be able to speak multiplelanguages," Naveen Chawla, the regional manager for India with the Qataricarrier had said then.

Orhan Abbas, the vice president for India and Nepal Emirates Airlines, hadsimilarly told reporters here his company was looking for more people fromIndia. "We will recruit more people as cabin crew and other operationsespecially from India."

A senior executive with a Gulf-based carrier, speaking on condition ofanonymity, said Indian pilots are looking at Gulf carriers as these werefinancially stable. "Many airlines based in Gulf countries are doing welland several have strong presence in India. This is one of the reasons that weare hiring Indian pilots," he said.