Air India Launches Strategic Pilot Recruitment Drive Amid IndiGo's Operational Crisis

Air India is actively recruiting pilots for its Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 fleet.

New Delhi:

"The sky is not the limit; it's just the beginning," declares Air India in its recent hiring advertisement inviting pilots to join the Tata group company. Since its acquisition by the Tata group from the government in October 2021, the airline is now expanding its team for its Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft – the workhorses of short to medium-haul routes.

This seemingly routine recruitment notice has garnered significant attention across social media platforms, largely due to the ongoing crisis at Air India's competitor, IndiGo.

The Indian civil aviation sector has been experiencing widespread disruptions since last week, with IndiGo facing numerous flight cancellations, delays, and rescheduling due to an unexpected shortage of pilots and crew. This situation emerged after IndiGo implemented the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last year.

"Command the future of Indian aviation. We are inviting experienced B737 and A320 pilots to join our growing fleet. Submit your applications by December 22," Air India announced in their Instagram post.

Air India's recruitment drive comes at a strategic moment when IndiGo is desperately trying to hire additional pilots to stabilize its operations affected by the new FDTL regulations. These FDTL rules essentially ensure pilots receive adequate rest between flights, among other mandatory requirements. The implementation of these regulations has created a ripple effect on IndiGo's flight schedules.

For their A320 fleet, Air India specified they are seeking experienced "type rated" pilots in command positions. For the B737 fleet, the airline is looking to hire both experienced "type rated" and "non-type rated" pilots.

Type rating refers to certification for pilots who have successfully completed training and testing on specific aircraft models.

Despite announcing yesterday that flight operations and on-time performance were gradually improving, IndiGo continues to cancel additional flights.

Shares of IndiGo's parent company, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, dropped 6.9 percent today – the largest decline in eight months. The mass cancellations by IndiGo, which commands nearly 66 percent of the domestic market share, has left thousands of passengers stranded across airports nationwide as the carrier struggles with pilot shortages after failing to effectively adapt to the new flight duty time regulations.