Air India Pilots In For a Treat: Salary Lift-off And New Bonus Schemes Announced; All You Need to Know

Air India, under the ownership of Tata Group, om Thursday, May 23, announced a significant salary revision for its pilots. The revised salary structure, effective immediately, includes notable increases for different ranks of pilots.

First Officers and Captains are slated for a monthly raise of Rs 5,000, while Commanders will enjoy an Rs 11,000 increase in their monthly salary.

Senior Commanders are set to benefit from a substantial Rs 15,000 hike per month. However, junior First Officers will not see a change in their fixed monthly salary.

Introduction of Annual Performance Bonuses

In addition to the salary adjustments, Air India has announced an annual target performance bonus scheme for its pilots. The bonuses are structured according to the pilot's rank.

Junior First Officers are set to receive an annual salary of Rs 42,000, while First Officers will see an increase to Rs 50,000 per year. Captains are slated for a jump to Rs 60,000 annually, with Commanders leading the pack at Rs 1.32 lakh per annum. Moreover, Senior Commanders are in for an additional treat with a hefty annual bonus of Rs 1.80 lakh.

The recent salary revisions and introduction of performance bonuses mark the first appraisal process since Tata Group's takeover of Air India.

Compensation for Training Delays

Pilots who underwent command upgrade and conversion training from April 2023 to March 2024, and experienced delays due to organisational reasons, will receive extra compensation. This additional compensation covers the time spent in training and any period beyond the guaranteed 40 hours of flying.

Air India has about 18,000 workers and it owns four airlines: Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect (which used to be AirAsia India), and Vistara. Air India Express is combining with AIX Connect, and Vistara will merge with Air India.