Air India (AI), the flag carrier of India, has announced a new “Flexi Contract for Pilots” work‑model that is set to be implemented in the first three months of the new year, reported Hindustan Times a few days ago. The new contract will allow eligible line‑pilots and line training captains to opt for shorter duty‑patterns while maintaining operational standards.
The model offers two fixed roster options:
- 15 days on/15 days off for wide‑body crews
- 20 days on/10 days off for narrow‑body crews
What does Air India’s Flexi Contract Model Specifically Comprise?
Under the “flexi contract” scheme, Air India pilots can reduce the time they spend at work,a s they can choose to either work fifteen or twnty days depending upon the type of aircraft they fly. The following table gives us a cue as to the basics of the new scheme.
| Parameter | Wide-Body Aircraft | Narrow-Body Aircraft (A320) |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Personnel | Line Pilots, Line Training Captains | Line Pilots, Line Training Captains |
| Ineligible Personnel | Junior First Officers, Type Rating Instructors, Direct Entry Pilots | Junior First Officers, Type Rating Instructors, Direct Entry Pilots |
| Duty Pattern | 15 days on / 15 days off | 20 days on / 10 days off |
| Annual Privilege Leave | 8 days | 12 days |
| Annual Sick Leave | 4 days | 6 days |
| Contract Tenure | 12 months (extendable at company’s discretion) | 12 months (extendable at company’s discretion) |
| Post-Contract Status | Revert to original terms | Revert to original terms |
Air India also has 21 Boeing 777s and these average just over 15 years. It is not exactly clear why the pilots of the 787s and 777s are exempt from this offer. We also can’t quite specify how many pilots are type-rated for these two aircraft types, though the carrier had a total of 3,280 pilots as of March 2025. It is also expected that the airline will require approximately 6,000 pilots in the course of next the years if it continues to expand as it has planned to. In 2023, the carrier placed and order for 470 aircraft (comprising the Boeing and Airbus family).
It is quite obvious that the change in the way Air India is expected to pay its pilots is not only going to affect the current crop of pilots but also the future ones that the carrier will recruit to make sure its expanded operations with the aircraft which have outstanding deliveries are smooth.
Adopting the flexi model: Air India’s perspective
Air India says the initiative is intended to match pilot preferences with operational requirements by offering greater roster flexibility and improved work‑life balance, while maintaining roster integrity and efficiency. In addition, the model signals a strategic response to a tightening global pilot labour market, fleet expansion plans, and the need to keep pilot careers attractive and sustainable while meeting growth ambitions.
It was also recently discussed by the CEO of IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers (and published in The Hindu) that pilots of India were being poached by foreign airlines- a practice that was not limited to only pilots either.
Another report in ETV Bharat talked about the scale of pilot shortages in India due to the exorbitant costs in training. The issue was also discussed in the Indian parliament [the Lok Sabha], where “the Centre admitted that it has received a representation from the Airlines’ Association of India (ALPA)”. The following table gives us a cue:
| Year | Total CPLs Issued | Year-on-Year Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | – | – | Baseline year for comparison |
| 2023 | 1,622 | +40% vs 2022 | Significant increase in wait time for CPL issuance |
| 2024 | 1,342 | -17% vs 2023 | Decline raises concerns for future pilot availability |
Source: ETV Bharat
The same source also revealed the number of pilots that airlines in India would need in the following decade would be the following:
- Air India: 5,870
- SpiceJet: 1,630
- Air India Express: 2,196 pilots by FY 2028
- IndiGo: 11,778
Air India has stated that the new payment scheme is a “voluntary offer to its pilots operating certain aircraft types to opt for a lesser number of working days with commensurate payments.”
Why Air India Pilots Are Uneasy About the Flexi Model
Much like the recent standoff between Pakistan International Airlines and the engineers association that led to a flurry of flight cancelations in Pakistan, Air India and the pilots who work there have dramatically opposite view of the proposed flexi contract for pilots. While AI claims that the contract will help pilots balance their work and life, pilots fear that the move is going to cut down on their flight hours, and ultimately their salaries:
National Herald India reported that “narrowbody pilots may see pay reductions of up to 30 per cent“. Others have opined that the flexi scheme is simply a cost‑cutting measure, with one pilot being quoted as having asked if the changes as proposed by Air India were for the benefit of the pilots, “it’s very easy to fly 40 hours in half the month. Why is the offer not for 40 hours payment in 15 days?”
Another pilot who spoke to the publication provided further details about the voluntary scheme. According to the pilot, the minimum guarantee would remain in place, but base pay could fall by around 45%, broadly matching the reduction in guaranteed paid hours from 40 to 22 per week. The pilot also indicated that the hourly rate was expected to decrease, although specific figures had not yet been disclosed.
The differing perspectives highlight the central tension surrounding the proposal. While Air India presents the arrangement as a flexible model intended to better accommodate pilots’ needs, some members of its pilot workforce see the changes as a potential cost-cutting measure and remain concerned that a scheme initially described as voluntary could eventually become mandatory.
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