Tighter norms for Air India pilots in new wage agreement

In order to improve operating efficiency, national carrier Air India has been making tighter provisions for its pilots. In a latest development, Air India has made it compulsory for pilots to fly for a minimum 40 hours to become eligible for guaranteed salary. This says an official of Air India is to discourage the habit of pilots of flying very few hours and drawing full salary.

The clause is a part of the new wage agreement that has been passed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The pilots will also have to make themselves available for at least 150 days over six months. The new wage agreement has also provisions to penalise the pilots if they report sick two hours before the scheduled departure of the flight.

While strict penalty provisions are part of the agreement, pilots who fly above 70 hours will get incentives. The new agreement will also attempt to bring pay parity between the pilots of previous Indian Airlines and Air India pilots. "There has been a discomfort among the pilots of the two organisations after the merger. To address that problem, Air India management has decided that all pilots would get the same flying hour rate, irrespective of the aircraft they fly, and fixed monthly salary for 70 hours of flying," an official of Air India said. At present, wide-body pilots get salary for 80 hours of flying, while IA pilots get paid for 72 hours. The new agreement will see the outgo of Air India in terms of salary to pilots go up by around Rs 60 crore to around Rs 3,200 crore.

He further said that these rules are part of the wage settlement agreement between the national carrier and its pilots and has been approved by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. An Air India official said the idea is to discourage any sort of indiscipline and improve utilisation of pilots and the aircraft.

In reply to a question at Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister for State Mahesh Sharma had said that the ministry was taking steps to prevent poaching of pilots by private airlines, mainly the majors from gulf. "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has authorised the Civil Aviation Ministry for rationalisation of pay allowances of pilots and periodic review of pay allowances and perks of pilots based on the prevailing market standards.This will help in resisting attempts by competing airlines from poaching of pilots on account of lesser pay and perks as compared to industry standards," Sharma had said.
 

THE PACT

• Air India has made it compulsory for pilots to fly for a minimum 40 hours to become eligible for guaranteed salary.
   
• Air India management has decided that all pilots would get the same flying hour rate, irrespective of the aircraft they fly
   
• The new agreement will see the outgo of Air India in terms of salary to pilots go up by around Rs 60 crore