Page 6 - Pilots

Air India sends stern email to pilots to address delay in licence renewal

Air India has sent out a strongly worded email, including a directive of disciplinary and monetary action against its pilots, in case of delay in licence renewal or Airport Entry Pass (AEP)

Majority of pilots have accepted new compensation package: Air India

Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Friday said that a majority of pilots have accepted the new compensation package offered last week, amid protests by Air India pilots' unions against the revised salary structure and service conditions. The loss-making airline, which was taken over from the government by the Tata Group in January 2022, has announced a new compensation package for pilots and cabin crew. In his weekly message to Air India staff on Friday, Campbell said the airline is making investments in workplace technology and training as well as in new and improved employee benefits. "On the latter front, I'm pleased to report that 90 per cent of cabin crew and a majority of pilots have received and accepted the new compensation package offered last week, which will be back dated to 1 April 2023," he said. 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 .

Tata Group-owned Air India to hire over 1,000 pilots, to expand its fleet

The move to hire more pilots comes as the Tata Group-owned airline plans to extend its fleet and network. Air India has placed an order for 470 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus

Air India pilots seek Ratan Tata's intervention against airlines' HR dept

The pilots of Air India, in an online petition to Tata Sons Ltd Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, have said their morale is low as they are not being treated with respect by the airlines' HR Department

Air India pilot unions say will go to 'any extent' if any member is fired

Unions reject revised salary structure airline offered on April 17

Air India pilot body calls revised terms, conditions of service 'illegal'

The legal notice stated that the members of the association were astonished to receive emails addressed to them individually by the 'Air India HR Team' on April 16 and 17

Pilots union sends legal notice to Air India over revised service agreement

Union not in favour of forced promotion to management cadre; wants pilots to remain protected under labour law

AI pilot bodies ask members not to accept revamped compensation structure

Pilot bodies at Tata Group-owned Air India have asked their members not to accept or sign revised terms and conditions days after the management came out with a revamped compensation structure for its flight and cockpit crew, as per a joint communication of the two unions. According to union sources, Air India has unilaterally changed the condition without consulting the pilots and alleged that they are trying to make all senior pilots executive and thus kill the unions. Under the new structure, salaries have been hiked for more than 2,700 pilots across Air India and AIX Connect (including Air Asia India and Air India Express) as well as over 5,600 Air India's cabin crew, as per an April 17 internal circular. Moreover, following the revision, the guaranteed flying allowance component has been doubled from the current 20 hours to 40 hours. However, it remained much lower compared to the pre-pandemic period when Air India pilots were entitled to a guaranteed 70 hours of flying. The

Air India pilot unions oppose salary proposal, call it anti-labour

'Concerted effort to gut unions and isolate pilots,' they allege in letter

Operations normal now: Alliance Air as pilots call off strike after 2 days

Alliance Air on Wednesday said flight operations have normalised now after a section of pilots, who were on strike for the last two days, resumed work. On Monday and Tuesday, around 70-80 pilots went on strike to protest against non-restoration of salaries to the pre-COVID level and non-payment of allowances, among other issues. Alliance Air CEO Vineet Sood on Wednesday told PTI that pilots have come back to work. He also said that negotiations are going on with the pilots regarding the issues raised by them. In a statement, Alliance Air said flights suffered major disruptions as a section of pilots en masse reported sick in the last two days. "We are now pleased to inform that the operations have normalised and flights are operating as per schedule," the statement said. On Tuesday, sources said the airline has issued notices to the striking pilots and has also asked them to join back for duty. State-owned Alliance Air, which was earlier part of the now-privatised Air India, has

Alliance Air pilots on strike for second day, 70% served notices

Alliance Air flash strike continues on second day

Pilots' strike hits Alliance Air flight ops; airline issues notices

Around 70 flights of Alliance Air were affected on Tuesday as a section of pilots continued with their strike for the second consecutive day and the airline has issued show cause notices to the pilots, according to two sources. Around 70-80 pilots refrained from coming for duty to protest against non-restoration of salaries to the pre-COVID level and non-payment of allowances, among other issues, they added. State-owned Alliance Air, which was earlier part of the now-privatised Air India, has around 200 pilots and operates about 130 flights per day. One of the sources said at least 70 flights were affected due to the strike by the pilots on Tuesday. The source said the contracts of the pilots are in the process of being re-negotiated but a section of the pilots have gone on strike without serving any notice to the airline. The striking pilots have been served with show cause notices and have been asked to report for duty within 24 hours, the source added. The source also said tha

Alliance Air pilots on strike over pay, nearly half its flights cancelled

Airline says no notice served, so management has taken a serious view; pilots want salaries pruned during Covid to be restored to pre-pandemic levels

15% of pilots in India are women, 3 times more than global average: DGCA

The DGCA data also shows that there are nearly 10,000 pilots in the country including 67 foreign nationals

Air India revises privilege leaves policy from April 1: Official

Air India will revise its policy with respect to privilege leaves for both permanent and full-term contract staff from the next financial year to align the policy with "prevailing market conditions", according to an internal communication. From April 1 onwards, Privilege Leaves (PLs) accumulation limit for all employees will be 60 days in a particular financial year, the communication said on Wednesday. An official close to the development said that under the revised policy, an employee can accumulate up to 60 days of PLs at the end of a financial year or can encash the same number of PLs. Air India will also be putting in place a new leave policy for the staff. "We are reviewing our leave policy comprehensively to align it with the prevailing market practices. As a part of that process, Privilege Leave (PL) limit accumulation and encashment are being revised," Air India's Chief Human Resources Officer Suresh Dutt Tripathi said in the communication. As per the communication, there

Two pilots die after Army's Cheetah helicopter crashes in Arunachal Pradesh

A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army, with two pilots on board, crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday morning, a defence spokesperson said. The chopper, carrying a lieutenant and a major, had taken off from Sange village in the district at 9 am and was headed for Missamari in Assam's Sonitpur district. The helicopter, which was flying an operational sortie, lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) around 9.15 am, Lt Colonel Mahendra Rawat said. "It crashed near Mandala, west of Bomdila. Search parties have been sent to the spot," he said. Rohit Rajbir Singh, the superintendent of police, Special Investigation Cell (SIC), explained that villagers had found the crashed chopper ablaze in Dirang, and informed district officials. "Villagers from Bangjalep at Dirang located the chopper around 12.30 pm. It is still burning," Singh said. The area has no mobile connectivity and the weather is extremely foggy with visibility as low as five mete

No proposal to lease non-operational airstrips for pilot training: Govt

The civil aviation ministry on Monday said there is no proposal to lease non-operational air strips to pilot training institutions for the purpose of training pilots. There are 35 Flying Training Organisations (FTO) in the country operating from 53 bases that provide aircraft flying training to obtain Commercial Pilot License (CPL). These FTOs have been approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said that in 2021, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) awarded nine FTO slots at five airports at Belagavi (Karnataka), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Kalaburgi (Karnataka), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and Lilabari (Assam). These slots were awarded through a competitive bidding process. Last June, 6 FTO slots were awarded at five AAI airports -- two at Bhavnagar (Gujarat), and one each at Hubballi (Karnataka), Kadappa (Andhra Pradesh), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and Salem (Tamil Nadu). To a que

AirAsia integrates pilot flight duty logbook with DGCA's eGCA platform

Pilots were traditionally required to update their pilot logbook in physical logbooks, as required by the MOCA's Aircraft Rule, 1937 (67A)

AI says 15% of total pilots are female, schedules all-women crew flights

Air India on Wednesday said 15 per cent of its 1,825 pilots are women pilots, making it an airline with the largest number of female pilots. To mark International Women's Day, the Tata Group-owned Air India, along with Air India Express and AirAsia India, has scheduled more than 90 all-women crew flights, and the carriers have been operating these all-women crew flights on international and domestic routes since March 1, according to a release. "Of the 90+ flights operated by all-women cockpit and cabin crew, Air India is flying 40 flights across domestic and international locations, whereas AI Express is operating 10 all-international flights to the Gulf route and AirAsia India is operating over 40 flights within India," it said. According to the carrier, women constitute over 40 per cent of Air India's workforce, with 275 of its 1,825 pilots being women, representing 15 per cent of the cockpit crew strength and making it an airline having one of the largest numbers of female ...

Air India plans single pay structure, common seniority list for pilots

Air India was unable to create a single seniority list of pilots after merging with Indian Airlines in 2007 as pilots from both sides bickered on the issue