Air India Outpaces IndiGo In Pilot Count Despite Fewer Planes

The disparity is attributed to fleet composition rather than overstaffing. Air India's 63 wide-body aircraft demand larger crews for long-haul flights, often requiring two captains and three first officers per trip to meet duty-time limits.

Ultra-long routes necessitate augmented teams and rest periods for return legs, unlike IndiGo's single-aisle Airbus A320 fleet that typically needs just one captain and one first officer. Wide-bodies also involve complex operations, longer training, and specialised type ratings, while narrow-bodies allow quicker pilot conversions, according to a report in The Financial Times.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol addressed concerns over pilot shortages and foreign hires stating the rate of employment among qualified pilots is dependent on market forces.

He said the rationale behind airlines hiring foreign pilots, inter alia, is the requirement of a specific type-rated pilot in light of fleet expansions and time-bound operational requirements.

Mohol also said the flying training organisations are continuously upgrading their aircraft fleet by regularly inducting training aircraft fleets.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has facilitated the induction of 61 training aircraft by FTOs till November, he said, adding that the civil aviation regulator has approved two FTOs in 2025.

As of November 2025, India has 40 FTOs operating across 62 bases, Mohol said.

He said the modernisation of flying-training infrastructure is market dependent and undertaken on the basis of the commercial consideration of the FTOs, adding that the civil aviation ministry currently has no intervention in the same.

A continued review of safety standards is undertaken during the surveillance of these FTOs, in accordance with the published Annual Surveillance Plan of the DGCA, the minister said. Special safety audits and spot checks are also carried out as and when needed, he added.