- ALPA India warned of safety risks due to experienced pilots leaving Air India Group
- Pilots cite stagnant pay, reduced perks, and worsening work conditions as reasons to quit
- Three incidents highlighted as evidence of operational risks from pilot attrition
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) has written an open letter to Noel Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts, about a rising safety concern due to the exodus of experienced pilots from the Air India Group, especially at Air India Express, to rival carriers. A copy of the letter has been seen by NDTV Profit.
ALPA India claims that the main reasons pilots are leaving the group are because their income has not kept up with their expectations, their perks have been cut, and their working conditions have been continuously deteriorating.
In its letter, the association categorically framed this as a flight-safety issue rather than just an internal personnel issue.
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Three Incidents Cited As Evidence Of Risk
To back its warning, ALPA India pointed to three specific incidents it says illustrate the risks associated with the ongoing attrition, which include an Air India flight to Phuket, a tail strike incident, and a go-around incident.
The association cited these episodes as evidence that the exodus of experienced cockpit crew is beginning to have operational consequences.
What ALPA India Is Demanding
In a detailed letter to the Tata Group leadership, ALPA India outlined a comprehensive set of demands centered on pilot welfare, compensation, and operational safety. Key financial and career-oriented asks include competitive pay, retirement benefits, transparent career progression, and safeguards during fleet transitions.
To ensure better work-life balance and mitigate burnout, the association is calling for real, usable leave, stable rosters, protected rest periods, and robust fatigue-risk management. Furthermore, the pilots have requested business-class travel for positioning flights, a non-punitive safety reporting culture, and guaranteed consultation prior to the implementation of any policy changes.
The association has also sought an independent, internationally benchmarked overall review, covering attrition trends, roster practices, fatigue data and cockpit experience levels across the Air India Group.
Backdrop: A Broader Pay And Retention Battle
The letter comes at a time when Air India and Air India Express have already been working to address pilot retention concerns through revised compensation.
The two carriers had earlier this month hiked pilot salaries by around 9-15%, with Air India also introducing a one-time transfer allowance of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 21 lakh for pilots willing to shift to its low-cost arm, Air India Express, a move aimed at building up cockpit crew strength as the airline prepares to induct around 40 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
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Even after the revised package, which provides a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft of up to Rs 21 lakh for Senior Commanders and Commanders, Rs 10 lakh for Senior First Officers, in three instalments from October 2026, pilots still have continued to raise concerns.
ALPA India's letter to Noel Tata now brings these long-simmering pay and working-condition concerns squarely into the realm of flight safety, urging the Tata Trusts chairman to intervene before the pilot exodus translates into further operational risk.
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