- Approximately 120 Airbus A-320 pilots submitted their resignation after the Air India management did not pay attention to their wage hike demands and promotion.
- The pilots were employed for the first time on a contractual basis with a low salary for five years, he said, adding that they were hoping to get a wage hike and promotion as they gain experience but in vain.
The national carrier Air India (AI) faces mass resignation from its pilots, as they are dissatisfied with their pay and promotion.
Approximately 120 Airbus A-320 pilots submitted their resignation after the AI management did not pay attention to their wage hike demands and promotion.
This came in the background of the decision of the Central Government to initiate the process of divesting the stake of Air India, which has a debt of more than € 60,000 crore.
All-Female Crew of Air India
Talking to ANI, a pilot who had recently resigned said, “AI management must listen to our complaints, and our demand for wage hike and promotion is long pending before them, but they have not given a strong assurance.”
He added that the pilots have to pay back large loans in the face of adversity. “And we pilots can’t get our payment on time,” he said.
The pilots were employed for the first time on a contractual basis with a low salary for five years, he said, adding that they were hoping to get a wage hike and promotion as they gain experience but in vain.
The dissatisfied pilots are sure that as the market is currently open they will get a job somewhere else. As of now, Indian airlines are operating AirbusA-320 flights from IndigoAir, GoAir, Vistara, and Air Asia.
On being asked if the operations of the national carrier will suffer due to the mass resignation, the Air India spokesperson said that it has surplus pilots. “AI operation will not suffer at any cost, due to resignation,” the spokesperson added.
At present, Air India has a total of 2000 pilots out of which 400 are executive.
Air India reported an operating loss of around Rs. 4,600 crore in the last financial year due to higher oil prices and loss in foreign exchange. The carrier which is deep in debts is expected to turn operationally profitable in 2019-20. Giving an account of tough conditions the net loss of the airline is calculated to be Rs, 8,4oo crore while total revenues touched around Rs. 26,400 crores in 2018-19,
During the budget, Finance minister Nirmala Sitaharaman said, “in view of the current macroeconomic parameters, the government along with re-initiating the process of strategic disinvestment of the national air carrier will also offer more central enterprises for participation in the private sector
The Government is looking to divest in the national carrier to cut off its debts and handle the operations.
