Jet Airways’ pilots receive attractive offers from Indigo
MUMBAI: Several pilots made their way to a five-star hotel in Mumbai’s western suburb last Friday, where India’s biggest airline, Indigo, held a recruitment drive for senior pilots, according to two pilots who attended the event.
The event also saw a large representation from cash-strapped Jet Airways (India) Ltd where senior workers are facing a prolonged delay in salaries and an uncertain future.
Indigo, one of Airbus SE’S largest customers globally, will soon start its maiden flight to Europe (Istanbul). It is also expanding fast, adding at least one aircraft per week, and is therefore in need of senior pilots.
To attract talent, the Gurgaonheadquartered airline has offered compensation for salaries overdue to senior pilots, especially to those belonging to Jet Airways. Indigo held a similar recruitment drive in New Delhi last week, which also saw a good turnout.
The chosen candidates were given on-the-spot offers to work with India’s largest domestic airline by market share in addition reassurances that their salaries will be credited on time, one of the pilots cited above said.
“The offers made by Indigo is quite good, and include various compensation for overdue salaries (up to two to three months of basic salary) on joining the airline,” said a senior pilot, who flies Airbus planes with Jet Airways.
Another pilot, who has more than five years experience with Jet Airways, said several of his peers like him attended the event to simply explore the available options.
“Jet Airways is one of the better paymasters in the industry. However, the recent salary delays have forced many pilots to dip into their savings. So, when an opportunity like this presents, there’s no harm in checking out offers from other airlines (like Indigo),” said the pilot.
A spokesperson for Indigo, run by Interglobe Aviation Ltd, did not immediately comment on the recruitment events.
Senior pilots command strong demand across airlines, but more so among no-frill carriers such as Indigo which has a fleet of 213 planes including Airbus A320neo and ATR aircraft. Indigo has also lined aggressive expansion plans with pending orders for more than 400 A320neo and A321neo jets.
The financial crisis at Jet Airways’ could not have come at a better time for Indigo, which operates about 1,300 total daily flights. The carrier had in February cancelled several flights due t o pilot shortages and bad weather.
The airline is expected to add about 62 planes this financial year, and at least 40 more next year.
With the robust aircraft additions, maintaining a good ratio of pilots against aircraft is always a challenge, an Indigo official said previously. “But, we are up for the challenge and are taking steps to address the issue,” the official said. NEWDELHI: More investments with strict riders have been planned to make Air India financially attractive before starting any new round of divestment, Union minister Suresh Prabhu has said.
As per the plan, Air India would be allowed to induct more aircraft to grow its market share, while a search-cum-selection committee will scout for the best management talent for the company.
The airline group with a consolidated debt level of around ₹55,000 crore will also be required to sell non-core assets, and adhere to a ₹2,000 crore cost saving plan.
According to the minister, the financially challenged airline will induct three aircraft on a drylease within the next two months.
“Air India placed order for induction of 27 A320neo on dry lease basis. Out of 27, 24 have already been i nducted and remaining 3 will be inducted within next two months,” the minister told IANS.
In 2018, the company failed to find any suitors during the last and the only attempt by the government to divest its stake in the airline business.
“Government has prepared a ‘Revival Plan’ of Air India,” Prabhu told IANS.