Tata group, the new owner of Air India, has begun the process of restoring pilot and cabin crew salaries in a wider restructuring of wages and allowances to align them with those of its three other airlines.
On Friday, employee salaries were restored by almost 75 percent as compared to the pre-covid level
For pilots, the company has restored 20 percent of the flying allowance in the current phase. The existing cut is 35 percent of the pre-COVID level. Special pay pilots and wide body allowances will be restored by 25 per cent. These saw a cut of 40 per cent.
“As the hope of a post-pandemic world seems within each and the aviation sector takes off once again with some visible changes in our performance. We are happy to inform you that your salary cuts have been reviewed and the restoration of salaries will happen in a phased manner. The changes will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2022," Amrita Sharan, director personnel of the airline said in a memo to employees.
She also said that the salaries will be reviewed further as performance improves in coming months.
India’s largest airline IndiGo earlier this month had partially reinstated salaries of its pilots with the stabilisation and growth in its operations. The company announced an upward revision of 8 per cent in salaries of all pilots with effect from April 1. The airline had introduced a 28 per cent pay cut for pilots in 2020.
Similarly, IndiGo’s low cost rival SpiceJet has hiked the salary of its captains by 10 per cent and 15 per cent for first officers, as per an internal communication. The salary hike for trainers at SpiceJet stands at 20 per cent. This increment in salary shall be effective from March.
As demand for air travel increases, allowing airlines to deploy more of their fleet, pilots are demanding reversal of pay cuts. IndiGo suspended five pilots after a group of them planned to organise a strike and disrupt operations of the airline demanding reversal of pay cut.
Similarly, over 100 AirAsia India pilots have written to the management of the airline to restore their pre-covid salary saying that their flying hours have reached pre-covid level.
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