Air India extends walk-in interview for one more day in Gurgaon due to huge rush of pilots

Air India on Saturday extended its walk-in interview for pilots of Airbus A320, the aircraft type which is used by crisis-hit Go First, by another day in Gurgaon, reported Times of India. This happened because of the exodus from the crisis-hit airline that has cancelled flights till May 12.

While the Gurgaon walk-in was scheduled for Thursday, a large number of pilots arrived early on Friday morning at the interview location.

Meanwhile, dozens of pilots, many from crisis-hit Go First, flocked to a Tata group hotel near Delhi on Thursday for walk-in interviews with the conglomerate’s Air India. Air India officials said they have received 700 applications in the last few days.

Go First’s announcement that it had filed for bankruptcy, as demand for post-pandemic air travel in the world’s most populous country boomed, came as a shock to many employees.

“It is very disheartening, the airline was functioning as if everything was normal,” said a pilot who joined Go First two years ago and was waiting in a long line at Tata’s Taj Hotel. “We have to jump ship in order to keep our flying licences current.”

Meanwhile, IndiGo is also witnessing a similar surge in applications. Last month, the airline hired 150 pilots for its roadshow. “We are getting calls from hundreds of crew members for jobs,” TOI quoted a senior IndiGo official as saying. 

“An unprecedented rush of candidates eager to give wings to their flying dreams was seen at the walk-in interview for pilots at (the venue) in Gurugram. Long queues leading to the venue swelled up from early this morning for the recruitment drive of A320 rated pilots much before the scheduled commencement of the proceedings. Along with the interview scheduled at Mumbai tomorrow, a call was taken to extend the interview of Gurugram by a day in view of the unbridled enthusiasm amongst the potential candidates seen today,” an airline official told TOI.

The airline, bought back from the government last year by salt-to-software Tata group, plans to hire more than 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots this year as part of a major revamp which also includes orders for a record 470 jets.

Vistara also held walk-in interviews for cabin crew in Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday, and sought online applications from pilots.

Budget airline Go First, which has liabilities worth Rs 11,463 crore, moved the NCLT where it has filed an application under Section 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The airline has blamed engine maker Pratt & Whitney for its fresh troubles and said that their faulty engines have resulted in the grounding of 50 per cent of its fleet.

In its petition filed before NCLT, the budget airline has sought directions to restrain aircraft lessors from taking any recovery action as well as restrain the DGCA and suppliers of essential goods and services from initiating adverse actions.

Also Read: Go First insolvency: Delhi-Mumbai fares jump up near 40%, Delhi-Leh flight price up 5x to Rs 28K, Srinagar-Chandigarh Rs 26K