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Unease among pilots as Air India plans voluntary 'flexi contract' scheme
The scheme, to be rolled out in 2 phases between Jan and March 2026, will initially exclude Boeing 787 pilots and Delhi-based crew operating Boeing 777 aircraft
New Delhi: Air India is set to introduce a controversial voluntary "flexi contract model" that could see widebody pilots working just 15 days a month while narrowbody crews clock 20 days, a move insiders say reflects cost pressures and rising pilot numbers and has raised eyebrows across the aviation industry.
The scheme, to be rolled out in two phases between January and March 2026, will initially exclude Boeing 787 pilots and Delhi-based crew operating Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline has said the scheme will be voluntary but pilots are questioning whether the voluntary offer masks a cost-cutting exercise that could slash their earnings by up to 40%, and eventually become a permanent feature.
"As per the plan, a widebody pilot will get work for 15 days in a month and a narrowbody pilot will get 20 days of work. This means a further loss of flying hours, which have already been reduced from almost 90 hours a month pre-Covid to almost 50-55 hours a month after privatisation," one of the persons privy to the information said, asking not to be named.
The airline confirmed the development, describing it as a "voluntary offer to its pilots operating certain aircraft types to opt for a lesser number of working days with commensurate payments." "This offer is entirely voluntary and will address the long-standing desire amongst some pilots to have more personal time available for themselves," an Air India spokesperson said, adding that pilots could continue with their current full work schedule if they preferred.
However, pilots have sharply criticised the rationale behind the model, which the airline has described as a step "towards supporting the evolving needs of the airline's pilot community while upholding operational efficiency."
Pilots say the flexi model would further erode their income, with narrowbody pilots facing a 30% pay reduction and widebody pilots, particularly those on ultra-long-haul flights to the US and Canada, seeing reductions of up to 40%.
"It is simply a cost-cutting attempt. If this was being done for pilots, it's very easy to fly 40 hours in half the month. Why is the offer not for 40 hours payment in 15 days?" one pilot said.
Pilot compensations typically comprise a base salary, allowances unlinked to flying, plus flying hour allowances-payments for each hour flown-with airlines normally guaranteeing a minimum number of paid hours monthly.
A second pilot HT spoke to said the minimum guarantee under the voluntary scheme added that the base pay in the voluntary scheme would be a cut of 45% which appears to be commensurate with the reduction of the guaranteed paid hours from 40 to 22. "There will also be a reduction in the hourly rate, from that we understand, though specifics have not been shared yet," this person said.
Another pilot added that the new limits on how many days pilots can work with further limit the scope of racking up additional hours.
Air India, which was privatised in 2022, had 3,280 pilots as of March this year, according to government data shared with Parlia-ment. The airline operates a fleet of 174 aircraft, including 33 Boeing 787s, as of 23 October, according to aircraft fleet tracking website Planespotter.com.
After privatisation, Air India placed one of the largest aircraft orders in history, spanning single aisle and wide body jets from Boe-ing and Airbus, to be delivered in
phases over the coming years. Parliamentary data shows the airline will require approximately 5,870 pilots over the next decade to sup-port its planned expansion.
Industry norms require varying pilot complements depending on aircraft type: Boeing 777s need 26 pilots (13 commanders and 13 first officers) per plane, Boeing 787s require 20 pilots (10 commanders and 10 first officers), while the recently inducted Airbus A350 needs 30 pilots (15 commanders and 15 first officers). Narrowbody aircraft, including the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 Max, require an average of 12 pilots-six pilots per aircraft on a standard
basis. This arithmetic is based on keeping aircraft operational throughout the month while ensuring pilots have adequate rest between flights and don't exceed regulatory duty limits.
Pilots have also pointed to contradictions in the airline's approach. "Airlines are discourag pilots from taking jobs abroad, yet they're offering flexible con-tracts that reduce flying hours and ing
pay. If the terms are being made flexible, the six-month notice period should be reconsidered too. We can't be restricted on one hand whilst being asked to compromise on the other," one pilot said.
Another pilot questioned whether the scheme might even-tually become mandatory. "We say there is a shortage of pilots in India, and here we have an airline with access to pilots, which seems to be the reason for coming up with such a scheme. The management seems to have over-hired pilots. They may have announced itas voluntary, but is there a guarantee it wouldn't be made mandatory?"
The airline has already introduced a pay-as-you-fly scheme under which pilots are paid only for the hours they fly. "All this doesn't add up," another pilot said. In an internal communication,
Air India described the flexi con-tract as "designed to offer enhanced flexibility and improved work-life balance," stating that it "reflects our commitment to fostering a supportive and adaptable work environment."
