Page 4 - Pilots

DGCA fines Air India Rs 30 lakh, suspends pilot for three months

'We acknowledge and accept the DGCA's ruling', said Air India

DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine, suspends AI pilot for letting friend in cockpit

Aviation regulator DGCA on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh for lapses in addressing "safety sensitive issue" related to the incident of a pilot allowing a female friend in the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27. Besides, the licence of the pilot who operated the flight has been suspended for three months, the regulator said in a statement.

AI pilots' unions decide to accept revised service terms, compensation

Air India's two pilot unions on Thursday decided to accept the revised service norms and new compensation structure offered by the airline. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) had opposed the carrier's revised compensation structure introduced on April 17. The latest decision follows a virtual town hall meeting between pilots and the airline's chief of operations R S Sandhu last week, wherein the latter had assured that all demands will be looked into. "Upon the assurances given in the online Townhall Meeting for all pilots' and in the interest of the aspirations of Air India, The Tata Group and our passengers, the joint directive stands withdrawn," the two unions said in a joint statement on Thursday. The development also comes at a time when crisis-hit budget carrier Go First has gone into insolvency resolution proceedings. While ICPA represents pilots operating the narrow-body Airbus fleet, IPG has pilots who fly wide-body Boeing .

Air India pilot unions end protest on new salary contracts, service rewards

The change in stance from unions comes as Air India stepped up efforts to attract pilots from Go First that temporarily stopped operations last week

Air India pilots get more time to accept revised compensation structure

Air India has given more time to pilots to accept the revised compensation structure, which has been opposed by two pilot unions, according to a source. The decision to provide more time to pilots who are yet to sign the new contracts also comes days after Air India organised a town hall meeting with many pilots to discuss their concerns. The source said the airline has given time till the end of this week for signing the new contracts apparently due to requests from people who had not earlier accepted the revised compensation structure. There was no comment from Air India on extending the deadline. Initially, the deadline for accepting the new contracts had ended on April 30. The move to extend the deadline also comes at a time when crisis-hit Go First has stopped flying and its future remains uncertain, a scenario that has also resulted in many of the budget carrier's pilots seeking job opportunities elsewhere. The source said that nearly 800 pilots who had not accepted the new

Go First pilots rush to Air India's job drive after it files for bankruptcy

Go First's announcement on Tuesday that it had filed for bankruptcy as demand for post-pandemic air travel in the world's most populous country boomed came as a shock to many employees

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