Air India, Air India Express hike pilot salaries by up to 17% amid poaching battle: Report
Air India and Air India Express have raised pilot salaries by up to 17% as Indian and global airlines intensify competition for experienced cockpit crew. The pay hikes come amid fleet expansion, aggressive hiring by IndiGo and increased recruitment of Indian pilots by Gulf carriers.
- Aug 8, 2026,
- Updated Aug 8, 2026 4:35 PM IST
Tata Group-owned Air India and Air India Express have raised pilot salaries by around 9-15%, with the move aimed at retaining cockpit crew amid intensifying competition for experienced pilots from rival IndiGo and Middle Eastern airlines. The salary revisions could also trigger a broader increase in pilot pay as Indian carriers expand fleets and international airlines step up recruitment, a report in the Economic Times stated.
From October, senior commanders at Air India will earn around ₹7 lakh a month for 40 hours of flying, up from the current ₹6.41 lakh, representing an increase of about 9%, according to an internal document reviewed by ET. At the maximum limit of 70 flying hours, monthly pay will rise to around ₹8.9 lakh, compared with ₹7.61 lakh currently, an increase of nearly 17%.
Air India offers incentive
Air India has also introduced a one-time transfer allowance of ₹10 lakh to ₹21 lakh for pilots willing to move to its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express.
The incentive comes as Air India Express prepares to induct around 40 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, creating a significant requirement for additional cockpit crew. Building an experienced pilot pool, however, is a time-consuming process.
Trainee first officers typically require around six months of training before they can begin commercial flying. They also need at least 1,500 hours in the right seat before becoming eligible for a captain upgrade, although airlines may impose higher thresholds.
Pilot hiring
The salary revision comes as IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline with more than 65% of the domestic market, continues to expand its fleet by around one aircraft a week.
The airline has reportedly hired more than 70 senior first officers from Air India Express following the December operational disruption, when a shortage of pilots contributed to widespread flight cancellations and operational difficulties.
IndiGo has also launched one of its largest recruitment drives and accelerated captain upgrades, converting more than 100 first officers into captains in May alone.
Indian airlines are also facing competition from Middle Eastern carriers. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad are actively recruiting Indian pilots, offering substantially higher salaries and the opportunity to gain wide-body aircraft experience. This combination is difficult for domestic carriers to match purely through compensation.
Key retention tool
Air India is also positioning career progression as a retention strategy. The airline is offering pilots opportunities to move into command positions at Air India Express before progressing to wide-body operations on long-haul routes to Europe and North America, where allowances are higher.
However, pilots have raised concerns over another change in the compensation structure. Flying hours will now be calculated using published block time rather than actual flying time.
Actual flying time can exceed published block time, particularly on busy metro-to-metro routes where congestion causes delays. A senior Air India captain said the change could effectively reduce earnings for pilots despite the headline salary increase.
The latest revisions highlight the growing competition for experienced pilots as Indian airlines rapidly expand capacity and global carriers seek to tap India's large pool of trained aviation professionals.
Tata Group-owned Air India and Air India Express have raised pilot salaries by around 9-15%, with the move aimed at retaining cockpit crew amid intensifying competition for experienced pilots from rival IndiGo and Middle Eastern airlines. The salary revisions could also trigger a broader increase in pilot pay as Indian carriers expand fleets and international airlines step up recruitment, a report in the Economic Times stated.
From October, senior commanders at Air India will earn around ₹7 lakh a month for 40 hours of flying, up from the current ₹6.41 lakh, representing an increase of about 9%, according to an internal document reviewed by ET. At the maximum limit of 70 flying hours, monthly pay will rise to around ₹8.9 lakh, compared with ₹7.61 lakh currently, an increase of nearly 17%.
Air India offers incentive
Air India has also introduced a one-time transfer allowance of ₹10 lakh to ₹21 lakh for pilots willing to move to its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express.
The incentive comes as Air India Express prepares to induct around 40 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, creating a significant requirement for additional cockpit crew. Building an experienced pilot pool, however, is a time-consuming process.
Trainee first officers typically require around six months of training before they can begin commercial flying. They also need at least 1,500 hours in the right seat before becoming eligible for a captain upgrade, although airlines may impose higher thresholds.
Pilot hiring
The salary revision comes as IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline with more than 65% of the domestic market, continues to expand its fleet by around one aircraft a week.
The airline has reportedly hired more than 70 senior first officers from Air India Express following the December operational disruption, when a shortage of pilots contributed to widespread flight cancellations and operational difficulties.
IndiGo has also launched one of its largest recruitment drives and accelerated captain upgrades, converting more than 100 first officers into captains in May alone.
Indian airlines are also facing competition from Middle Eastern carriers. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad are actively recruiting Indian pilots, offering substantially higher salaries and the opportunity to gain wide-body aircraft experience. This combination is difficult for domestic carriers to match purely through compensation.
Key retention tool
Air India is also positioning career progression as a retention strategy. The airline is offering pilots opportunities to move into command positions at Air India Express before progressing to wide-body operations on long-haul routes to Europe and North America, where allowances are higher.
However, pilots have raised concerns over another change in the compensation structure. Flying hours will now be calculated using published block time rather than actual flying time.
Actual flying time can exceed published block time, particularly on busy metro-to-metro routes where congestion causes delays. A senior Air India captain said the change could effectively reduce earnings for pilots despite the headline salary increase.
The latest revisions highlight the growing competition for experienced pilots as Indian airlines rapidly expand capacity and global carriers seek to tap India's large pool of trained aviation professionals.