New Delhi/Mumbai: Air India pilots who are eligible and want to become commanders on narrow- and wide-body planes will be compulsorily required to shift to Air India Express under a new framework based on a common seniority pool, according to sources.
Under the framework, senior first officers shifting to Air India Express for narrow-body Boeing 737 planes will be given a one-time bonus of ₹10 lakh, while existing commanders of these aircraft at Air India Express will be paid ₹21 lakh over three years, the sources said.
Upon getting commandership, the pilots will be required to remain at the operating base chosen by Air India Express for at least two years, with the period extendable by up to six months. After that, they will be allowed to choose their operating base, subject to eligibility.
There was no official comment from Air India on the new framework.
The framework has been introduced amid intense competition among airlines for senior pilots, attrition and lower flying hours at present, according to two senior Air India Group pilots. The sources also said Air India Group is expected to induct more narrow-body aircraft in the near term and expand its wide-body fleet in the coming years.
One source said the move is aimed at strengthening the pool of Boeing 737 commanders as a significant number of such aircraft are expected to join the fleet next year.
While Air India is presenting the framework as a way to provide new career pathways and long-term growth opportunities, a section of pilots has expressed reservations about the plan, the sources said.
The decision was conveyed to pilots during a town hall on Friday. Senior first officers are being offered letters under Air India Express letterhead regarding their transfer from Air India, according to one of the pilots.
The pilot claimed they were being pressured to accept the letters, alleging that the move effectively amounted to a "forced resignation" because the pilots would no longer remain on Air India's payroll.
The same pilot said Air India had offered the ₹21 lakh bonus, payable over three years, after a number of A320 commanders left for IndiGo, which is hiring pilots and offering up to ₹20 lakh towards bond amounts.
Meanwhile, the sources said the common seniority pool for pilots from Air India and Air India Express will be maintained, and Air India Express will become the primary pathway for pilots seeking command upgrades.