Air India Express pilots win wage hike

BY A CORRESPONDENT
2nd January 2006

After a long wait, the ordeal is hopefully over for Air India Express pilots. The low-cost subsidiary of Air-India which flies abroad, the airline had recently seen many pilots putting in their papers miffed over lower salaries, even as pilots in private airlines have been laughing all the way home. Now, the Air India board has cleared a proposal to hike their salaries and keep them happy for the time being.

After the Air India board decision, salaries of Air India Express pilots have gone up by 20% to touch about Rs 1.2 lakh a month. This brings them on par with salaries offered by private airlines. Air India is also increasing benefits for the Air India Express pilots like leave travel allowance, medical allowance, passage benefits etc.

Air India Express currently has 32 co-pilots on a five year contract, besides 22 commandants. Air India Express is operating its flights with three leased aircraft, which fly mainly to the Gulf.

Last month saw a mass resignation of pilots from Air India Express, when its aggrieved staff put in their papers in protest against their low salaries. With the current salary hike, Air India hopes the pilots will stay on.

Pilot movements are an increasing cause of worry in India's booming aviation sector. About Rs 25 lakhs is spent on training a pilot, which goes to waste when he decides to leave his company for a better career.

To resolve the problem of increasing pilot poaching, Indian airlines have been starting pilot training academies, buying flight simulators and even hiring foreign pilots in some cases.

In Air India Express, a pilot earns abut Rs 50,000 a month, even as an Air India pilot earns about 1.2 lakh.