Indian hikes pilots’ salaries by 45%

New Delhi: Indian Airlines has hiked the salaries of its 600-odd pilots by 45%, matching it with those offered by its private sector rivals.
At present, senior pilots in IA get Rs 3 lakh a month as pay, while entry-level pilots earn about Rs 90,000. After the hike, their salaries will be Rs 4.35 lakh and Rs 1.3 lakh, respectively. The hike will bridge the gap in the salary structure for IA’s junior pilots (private airlines pay about Rs 1.25 lakh a month) and also make the package more attractive for its senior pilots.
Under a ‘productivity-linked settlement’ between Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) and IA, pilots have agreed for a “fourth landing” while on a flight and duty time limitation (FDTL). FDTL, the total number of flying hours of a pilot in a day, while will be extended to both domestic as well as international flights.
The new settlement will enable IA to plan long-haul international flights. At present, the pilots make three landings in a day. Trivedi said, this would allow IA to further penetrate the market and boost its revenue.
20/07/06 Financial Express

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