Air India aims to hire over 1,000 pilots despite staff discontent with salaries

Air India, owned by Tata Group, has announced the aim to recruit over 1,000 pilots, including trainers and captains, as it expands its fleet and network. The airline currently has more than 1,800 pilots and has placed orders for 470 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus, including wide-body planes.

Air India’s latest order with Airbus includes 210 A320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000, while its Boeing order comprises 190 737-Max, 20 787s, and 10 777s. This move comes despite concerns raised by Air India pilots over the airline’s recent decision to restructure their salary and service conditions.

The airline, which Tata Group took over in January last year, is hiring more than 1,000 pilots according to a newspaper advertisement. The advertisement highlights that Air India is providing several opportunities for captains, first officers, and trainers across its A320, B777, B787, and B737 fleet, with over 500 aircraft set to join its fleet.

Air India’s pilots and cabin crew have rejected the airline’s revamped compensation structure, which was implemented on April 17. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) rejected the new contracts on the grounds that the airline did not consult with them before making changes. The pilot unions allege that Air India violated labor practices by not seeking their input.

Air India is planning to expand its domestic and international operations in 2023 by adding new aircraft, and the airline is searching for over 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots, as reported by ET. However, the shortage of crew is causing the cancellation or delay of ultra-long-haul flights. Currently, Air India has 1,600 pilots to operate its 113 aircraft fleet.

Tata Group

The Tata Group has four airlines, including Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect, and Vistara, which is a joint venture with Singapore Airlines. The group is merging Air India Express and AIX Connect with Air India and is also integrating Vistara with the airline.

Air India, the flag carrier that was acquired by Indian conglomerate Tata from the government due to its mounting losses and debt, is striving towards becoming a “world-class global airline with an Indian heart” through a multi-stage transformation plan. The airline is expanding its fleet and network, enhancing its customer offerings, and improving operational reliability. Vihaan.AI, the five-year transformation program, has completed its first phase as of April.

Air India has hired over 1900 cabin crew between May 2022 and February 2023. The airline has trained more than 1,100 cabin crew between July 2022 and January 2023 and released about 500 cabin crew for flying in the past three months.

The first phase of the airline’s transformation focused on tackling legacy issues and laying the groundwork for future expansion. Air India is also modernizing its digital systems by implementing an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot and other initiatives, for which it has made an initial investment of $200 million.

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