Air India Pilot Salary in 2025

20 godzin temu

Zdjęcie: air-india-pilot-salary-in-2025

Indian flag carrier, Air India (AI), completed its privatization in 2022 with the country’s largest conglomerate, TATA Group, acquiring the airline from the Government of India. At the backend of 2024, AI also completed a merger with TATA’s other operator, Vistara, and as a consequence, allowed Singapore Airlines (SQ) to occupy a minority stake in the Air India Group.

Air India operates a fleet of 205 aircraft and serves 84 destinations worldwide from its primary hub of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), and Bengaluru (BLR) and Mumbai (BOM) – the secondary hubs. There are massive expansion plans on the cards as well, thanks to an order of 374 aircraft with Airbus and Boeing.

Currently, approximately 2,000 pilots are employed by the airline but there are expected to be a lot more vacancies sooner. Having said that, here is all you need to know about how much the aviators are compensated at India’s oldest carrier.

Air India Pilot Salary

TRAINEE PILOT

Trainee pilots with Air India are the junior-most category of pilots. They are usually personnel straight out of the airline’s cadet programs or those who have been trained independently in flying schools.

The monthly salary of a Trainee pilot or you can say junior first officer under training is around INR 50,000. With this, they are paid an annual salary of INR 6,00,000 (approximately US$7,000).

Trainee pilots are not paid any allowance for their flying hours but are eligible for a nominal layover payment from the airline.

FIRST OFFICER

First officers at Air India are responsible for being the captain’s right-hand man and handling communication as well as doing the decision-making in the absence of the leader of the cockpit. AI pays its first officers a salary in the range of INR 36,00,000 and INR 72,00,000 per annum (approximately between US$40,000 and US$80,000). They can get a salary ranging from INR 2,35,000 to 3,45,000 per month.

Their base salary differs on their years of experience as a pilot as well as other factors, primarily the type of aircraft they operate. Subject to their seniority, they are paid a fee between INR 1,500 and INR 4,000 for each flying hour (approximately US$15 to US$45). Additionally, an allowance of INR 1,700 (approximately US$20) is paid for each domestic layover night while the international allowance differs from destination to destination.

CAPTAINS

The captains at Air India are responsible for the critical phases of the flight and make all the decisions pertaining to navigation, emergency procedures, etc. Their annual salary sits between INR 60,00,000 and INR 90,00,000 (approximately US$70,000 to US$105,000) depending on the type of aircraft flown as well as experience.

Those flying narrow-bodies are paid a monthly allowance of INR 25,000 (approximately US$300) and wide-body captains receive INR 75,000 (approximately US$900). Their payment for each flying hour ranges from INR 4,500 to INR 10,000 (approximately US$50 to US$120). Additionally, INR 2,200 (approximately US$25) is paid for domestic layovers, and as with first officers, this amount varies when flying internationally depending on the destination.

Basically, there are multiple levels such as:

Captain/ SFO: First Officer with an ATPL earns ₹4.75 lakh/month.
Commander: Internally upgraded Captain/SFO with a P1 rating earns ₹7.50 lakh/month.
Senior Commander: A Commander with over 4 years of P1 rating earns ₹8.50 lakh/month.

SENIOR COMMANDERS

The senior commanders are a set of Air India’s most experienced flying crew and are a group comprised of captains who earn internal promotions. Apart from performing the tasks of a captain, they are tasked with the training and mentoring of their junior peers. Their annual base salary ranges from INR 1,00,00,000 to INR 1,25,00,000 (approximately US$115,000 to US$145,000) depending on aircraft type and experience.

Apart from the base salary, they are entitled to the same fleet allowance and layover fees as captains. However, they receive a payment ranging between INR 9,000 and INR 12,000 (approximately US$105 to US$140) for each flying hour, which is exponentially higher than their counterparts who are designated as captains.

Also Read: Air India Orders 34 New Planes for Pilot Training Academy

Highest Female Pilots in the World

India positions itself as a leader in aviation gender diversity with over 1,200 female pilots actively serving in the industry. Commercial pilots comprise 10% of this group, surpassing global industry averages.

India’s achievements in pilot gender diversity stand out against international benchmarks. The United States reports only 5% female representation among commercial pilots, falling below worldwide averages. Air India emerges as a standout carrier with approximately 200 female pilots, representing 40% of their workforce and 15% of their cockpit crew.

Air India maintains the highest percentage of female pilots globally at 13%, establishing new industry standards for gender representation. This contrasts sharply with Singapore Airlines, where female pilots constitute less than 0.5% of their pilot workforce.

Must Read: Vistara Pilots Salary After Merger with Air India

Benefits enjoyed by AI pilots

Apart from their basic salary, Air India pilots are eligible for the following benefits as part of their compensation package.

BONUS SCHEME – Air India has a robust bonus scheme for its pilots and all other employees. At the end of each financial year, attractive bonuses are announced depending on individual performances as well as that of the airline.
INSURANCE – A comprehensive medical insurance is provided to all pilots. This policy takes care of every possible medical expense and is valid throughout the world. This alleviates the pressure of having to spend on medical treatments while in transit.
RETIREMENT PLAN – Air India pays its pilots a percentage of their base salary in provident funds that are withdrawn upon reaching retirement age. There are also workshops on how to maximize savings for life after retirement, as well as opportunities within the airline for senior members of their workforce.
HOLIDAYS – Air India offers its pilots a great number of holidays during the year. These include sick leaves, public holidays as well as paid time off. In total, paid holidays amount to approximately 50 days in a calendar year.
HOUSING ALLOWANCE – Housing is provided to pilots and their families if they are required to move cities for employment. Additionally, there is also a housing allowance as part of the compensation package which acts as a tax benefit as well.
FREE FLIGHTS – Air India pilots and their families are entitled to free travel on the airline and its subsidiaries. While economy class tickets can be booked in advance, upgrades or premium cabins are subject to availability several hours before scheduled departure.

What aircraft do AI pilots fly?

Air India has a fleet dominated by Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Here is a breakdown of the airplanes their pilots fly.

Airbus A319-100 – 6
Airbus A320-200 – 7
Airbus A320neo – 98
Airbus A321-200 – 13
Airbus A321 LR – 4
Airbus A321neo – 10
Airbus A350-900 – 6
Boeing 777-200LR – 8
Boeing 777-300ER – 19
Boeing 787-8 – 27
Boeing 787-9 – 7

Besides its existing fleet, Air India also has the following airplanes on order.

Airbus A320neo – 90
Airbus A321neo – 210
Airbus A350-900 – 19
Airbus A350-1000 – 25
Boeing 777-9 – 10
Boeing 787-9 – 20

Air India Pilot Requirements

A pilot at Air India has to fulfill the following requirements.

Academic Qualification: 10+2 (with Physics & Math) from a recognized Board/University
The upper age limit for P1 Commanders is 55 Years
Upper age limit for Sr. trainee pilots: 53 Years (The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 Years for SC/ST & 3 Years for OBC Candidates. Ex-servicemen will be given age relaxation as per rules.)
Technical/License Requirements:
- Current Class-I Medical Fitness Certificate issued by DGCA, India
- Current valid ATPL/CPL issued by DGCA, India
- Current FRTO issued by DGCA, India
- IR Endorsement for CPL
- Current RTR (A) or RTR(P) or RTR(C) issued by WPC, Ministry of Communication, India
- Valid ELP
- Candidates should be in possession of a Indian Current passport. If not available, proof of submission of the application is to be attached.

On the other hand, pilots wishing to be a part of their cadet program must match the below criteria.

You must be an Indian national or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI Card Holder).
You should hold a valid Indian Passport with an Unrestricted Right to Live and Work in India.
The candidate is proficient both in written and verbal English. He needs to take an English Language Proficiency Test as English is the language of Aviation.
You must possess a Class 2 Medical at the time of registering, and be able to attain and maintain a Class 1 Medical.
Minimum Height Requirement of 158 cm.
You should have scored at least 60% in your 10+2 from any recognized board in English, Mathematics, and Physics.
You should be 18 to 30 years of age when you join as a cadet in the Air India Cadet Pilot Program.

Also Check Out: How Much is the Salary of Commercial Pilots in India?

Air India Hiring Process

Air India follows the below hiring process for its pilot:

APPLICATION – For pilots not part of the cadet program, applications are made through the airline’s careers portal. AI only accepts online applications and there are no walk-in hiring sessions as with some other airlines around the world.
TESTS – The first process for shortlisted candidates is a written test to assess the individual’s theoretical knowledge. A psychometric test is also conducted to ascertain their suitability in an airline environment as well as a group setting.
INTERVIEW – Upon completion and passing of the tests, an interview is conducted to understand a person’s profile better as well as to confirm their educational background, licenses, and other relevant documents.
SIMULATOR PROFICIENCY – Simulator tests are conducted as the penultimate step of the hiring process to understand an individual’s capabilities on the aircraft they have applied to fly.
OFFER – A conditional offer is made, which comes into effect upon the completion of background checks and a pre-employment medical examination.