Air India is back in the headlines with a new compensation package launched for its cabin crew and pilots. The new structure came into effect on April 1, 2023, and enables the fresher and experienced cabin crew to earn 20 per cent higher trainee stipends. The new structure is a part of the national carrier’s five-year transformation plan. Under the program, the salaries of over 2,700 pilots across Air India and AIX Connect (including Air Asia India and Air India Express) and more than 5,600 Air India’s cabin crew will be raised. Besides, the airline announced plans in February to hire over 4,200 trainee cabin crew and 900 pilots in 2023. The airline has also booked 470 planes with Boeing and Airbus.
The salary packages and allowances vary according to the pilot categories and the number of flying hours. The revised structure offers a trainee junior first officer a fixed salary of ₹50,000 per month, besides flying and other allowances. After a line release of one year, these Junior First Officers can take home ₹2.35 lakhs per month.
The First Officers will earn up to ₹3.45 lakhs per month, and the Senior First Officer (Captain) or the first officer with ATPL will receive ₹4.75 lakhs per month. A pilot or a commander internally upgraded captain/SFO with a P1 rating on the airline’s aircraft type will earn ₹7.50 lakhs per month. However, a Senior Commander with over four years of P1 rating on company aircraft type will earn ₹8.50 lakhs every month. The salary will have flying and other allowances for pilots.
Air India plans to introduce two new designations – Senior Commander and Junior First Officer. Many senior pilots, who have flown for four or more years as Commanders, will receive a promotion to the Senior Commander rank, thus instantly including them in the management cadre. They will have the option to earn an extra allowance for executive duties.
A cabin crew trainee will earn ₹25,000 – 30,000 per month as a stipend. A cabin crew member will receive ₹53,000 a month, a senior cabin crew member will get ₹64,000 per month, and an executive cabin crew member will be eligible for ₹78,000 per month besides, the flying allowances. The permanent and FTC cabin crew organisation structure has been redesigned to classify into four segments — Trainee Cabin Crew, Cabin Crew, Cabin Senior, and Cabin Executive.
