Don't operate flights with contract pilots, Air India union tells members

An Air India pilots union has directed its members not to operate flights with commanders which the airline proposes to hire on contract.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association which represents pilots on narrow body Airbus A320 fleet also has asked the management to withdraw the recruitment advertisement. Last week the airline announced it will hire 197 pilots including commanders and senior trainee pilots for its Airbus A320 fleet.

Captain T Praveen Keerthi, association's general secretary issued a directive today asking members “not to undertake any flights with direct entry contract commanders.”

In a letter to the management and civil aviation minister Ashok Gajpati Raju the association wrote that the hiring of pilots on contract will dent staff morale.

“We demand a logical/unified career progression policy for the merged entity and withdrawal of the advertisement, which has the potential of creating industrial unrest, and restart the command training of our in house co-pilots who have been groomed and waiting for their chance to become Captains," the Association said.

Air India is hiring pilots to meet a shortage caused by resignations, transfer of pilots to Boeing 787s and delays in training junior pilots for the rank of commander. The shortage is causing flight delays and Air India's on time performance is the lowest amongst peers.

The move to hire commanders is causing unease among the airline's pilots.

“Command training of pilots has virtually come to a halt. There are several first officers who have flown over 5,000 hours and are wondering why they are not being trained for the commander rank. Also, while commanders from Airbus A320 were moved to Boeing 787, no recruitment was done in those posts,” a senior captain remarked.

Air India