Air India to hire over 1,000 pilots amid tussle with pilots for revised pay structure
2 min read 28 Apr 2023, 10:54 AM ISTThe carrier, which was taken over by the Tata Group in January last year, is hiring more than 1,000 pilots, according to an advertisement
PremiumTata Group-owned Air India will hire more than 1,000 pilots, including captains and trainers, as the airline expands its fleet and network. The airline, which currently has more than 1,800 pilots, has placed orders for 470 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus, including for wide-body planes.
The carrier, which was taken over by the Tata Group in January last year, is hiring more than 1,000 pilots, according to an advertisement on Thursday.
"We are offering multiple opportunities and accelerated growth across our A320, B777, B787 and B737 fleet for captains and first officers, as well as trainers," it said, adding that more than 500 aircraft are joining its fleet. The latest Airbus firm order comprises 210 A320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000. The Boeing firm order comprises 190 737-Max, 20 787s and 10 777s.
Meanwhile, pilots of Air India have raised concerns about the airline's latest decision to revamp their salary structure and service conditions.
On April 17, Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which has since been rejected by the two pilot unions - Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) - on the grounds that the airline, in alleged violation of the labour practices, did not consult them before finalising the new contracts.
The two unions also urged their members not to sign/accept the revised contract and salary structure.
Air India, which remained under government control for close to seven decades, was taken over by Tata Group in late January 2022.
In their petition, the pilots claimed that their morale is low and they are not being treated with "respect and dignity" by the present management and this could have a negative impact on their ability to perform duties.
"We have always been committed to Air India's success and have gone above and beyond to ensure that we provide our passengers with the best possible experience," the pilots said in the petition.
The pilots also said that they understand the challenges being faced by the airline are complex and added that "we are committed to working with the company to find solutions that will benefit all stakeholders".
"However, we feel that our concerns are not being heard or addressed by the current HR team. We are therefore respectfully requesting your assistance in addressing these issues," the pilots said in the petition.
As the Chairman Emeritus of Air India, "we believe that your benevolent leadership can help us to find a solution that is fair and respectful to all parties involved", they added.
On April 17, Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which has since been rejected by the two pilot unions - Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) - on grounds that the airline, in alleged violation of labour practices, did not consult them before finalising the new contracts.
Tata Group has four airlines -- Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect and Vistara, which is a joint venture with Singapore Airlines. The group is in the process of merging Air India Express and AIX Connect as well as Vistara with Air India.
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