Air India to hire 1,000 pilots as part of fleet expansion plan

The Tata-group-owned Air India is planning to hire around 1,000 pilots, including captains and trainers, as part of its fleet expansion programme. The airline, in a newspaper advertisement, has said that it is "offering multiple opportunities and accelerated growth across" its A320, B777, B787 and B737 fleet for captains, first officers and trainers. The hiring process is a part of Air India's recent plan to include more than 500 aircraft in its fleet.

The airline in February had said that it plans to hire over 4,200 cabin crew trainees and 900 pilots in 2023 as it adds new aircraft and rapidly expands its domestic and international operations.

In the domestic aviation industry, Air India holds a market share of 8.8%, the latest DGCA data for March 2023 shows. Other Tata group airlines Air Asia and Vistara held 7.3% and 8.8% market share, respectively.

Air India has also made an investment of $200 million to modernise its digital systems, and digital engineering services through its Vihaan.AI transformation programme. The airline expects to sustain the pace of investment over the next five years. While many initiatives regarding this have been completed, as per Air India, several more are in advanced stages towards completion.

The airline also wants to transform customer engagement and drastically improve operational efficiencies, a part of the reason why it announced a new multi-year deal with U.S.-based software and technology provider Sabre Corporation yesterday, which will allow travel agents and corporations to access Air India's fares and seats via Sabre’s extensive global travel marketplace. In addition to the distribution services, Air India said it is also using Sabre’s consultancy expertise to help determine optimal routes for its existing and new fleets.

Air India, as part of its five-year transformation plan 'Vihaan.AI', is working towards expanding its fleet and network, revamping its customer proposition, and improving reliability in operations. The airline recently placed the biggest aircraft order in aviation history for 470 aircraft from U.S. aircraft maker Boeing and French aerospace major Airbus. The Air India-Boeing pact comprises the order for fuel-efficient planes i.e. 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X aeroplanes. The agreement includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s.

The Air India-Airbus order comprises 250 aircraft deal, including 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft as well as 34 A350-1000 and six A350-900 wide-body jets. On January 27 last year, the soft-to-software conglomerate took over the management and control of Air India from the government, after 69 years by making a bid of ₹18,000 crore. The airline is now handled by Tata Sons' wholly-owned, newly-formed subsidiary Talace.

As India’s economy expands at a rapid pace, the demand for travel is also expected to increase dramatically, prompting airlines to ramp up fleets. As per the latest report by aviation consulting and research firm CAPA India, Indian carriers will place orders for 1,500-1,700 aircraft over the next 24+ months because the Indian market, in the post-COVID era, is attracting global attention as arguably the most promising aviation market.