Divestment-bound Air India adding around 270 co-pilots: report
30 Apr 2018
Amidst concerns of retention of the workforce post privatisation, Air India is reported to be in the process of adding 270 co-pilots in the reserved category. The state-run airline is also reported to have created a new post of Chief Pilot.
For an airline in the divestment process, Air India’s move seems strange as any addition to the employee strength would only make the carrier less attractive to prospective bidders.Air India already has two similar positions, director of operations and executive director of operations – both akin to the `Chief Pilot’ post – and both posts are held by senior pilots.
Air India, however, says these are needed to maintain operations, considering the possibility of employees switching jobs to other airlines.
"Keeping this and operational requirements in view, a special recruitment drive is on and the airline is in the process for filling up the existing backlog of vacancies of pilots." They further added that no new jobs have been created.
Earlier in March this year, Air India had gone on another hiring spree and was planning to recruit 500 cabin crew staff.
Air India, already top-heavy is also saddled with debt of over Rs50,000 crore, and hiring of such magnitude could only make the airline less attractive.
Air India already had a workforce with 11,214 permanent employees as of December 2017. These include 2,056 on deputation to other companies and agencies. It also has 2,913 on contract and 2,661 on deputation from other group companies as per the government memorandum on privatisation.
Air India’s staff cost in 2016-17 was Rs2,841.48 crore, which translates to an average employee cost of Rs21 lakh per annum.