New Delhi :
Air India recently announced on Monday that it has implemented a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, which includes an increase in the per-hour flying rate for pilots.
Air India Revamps Compensation Structure For Employees
As part of Air India’s five-year transformation plan, salaries will be increased for over 2,700 pilots across Air India and AIX Connect (including Air Asia India and Air India Express), as well as for over 5,600 cabin crew members, according to sources.
“An internal circular stated, ‘We are pleased to announce a revision in the compensation of our flying staff, effective April 1, 2023. We have simplified our compensation structure for flying staff.'”
As per the new structure, the guaranteed flying allowance component has been increased from 20 hours to 40 hours, though it remains lower compared to the pre-pandemic period when Air India pilots were entitled to a guaranteed 70 hours of flying.
Under the revised structure, the one-year Cost to Company (CTC) for a trainee pilot is set at Rs 50,000 per month, while a senior commander will earn Rs 8.50 lakh per month.
For cabin crew, the salary of a fresh hire has been set at Rs 25,000 per month, and a cabin executive will receive Rs 78,000 per month, as per the circular.
Additional Compensation and Hiked Flying Allowance
In addition, the sources indicate that there is a provision for additional compensation for pilots undergoing command upgrade and conversion training, which includes time spent in ground and simulator training.
Along with the aforementioned revisions, Air India has also increased the per-hour flying and flying allowance rates for pilots.
The airline will also introduce an additional reward to acknowledge the long service of its tenured staff, and double the stipend for trainee pilots.
Pilot Contracts Extended And Promotions
Another change pertains to the contracts of around 800 Fixed Term Contract (FTC) pilots, which were previously renewed for 5 years but will now be extended until the pilots reach the age of 58 years.
Currently, Air India has approximately 4,700 cabin crew on Fixed Term Contract (FTC) and nearly 1,000 permanent cabin crew.
Additionally, Air India is considering the introduction of two new levels/designations: Junior First Officer and Senior Commander.
Sources indicate that a significant number of senior pilots, who have served as Commanders for four or more years,
will be promoted to the rank of Senior Commander, granting them inclusion into the management cadre along with additional allowances for executive duties.
As part of the revamped cabin crew organization structure, both permanent and Fixed Term Contract (FTC) cabin crew have been re-designated into four segments,
namely Trainee Cabin Crew, Cabin Crew, Cabin Senior, and Cabin Executive.
According to sources, the stipends for trainee cabin crew, both for freshers and experienced crew, will be increased by over 20%.
The circular also mentions the introduction of additional allowances for cabin supervisors, including grooming-related allowances.
In February of this year, Air India announced its plans to recruit over 4,200 trainees for cabin crew positions and 900 pilots.
The airline has also placed orders for 470 planes with leading aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.
