Air India onboarded 650 pilots since April this year, says CEO

MUMBAI: Air India group airlines have recruited and onboarded as many as 650 pilots since April this year, according to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson.

Besides, Air India's widebody Boeing 777 fleet will have two more B777s by the first week of this month, with one of them already added to the fleet, which will help the airline enhance services to the US and upgauge capacity, he said.

Air India group comprises full service Air India and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries -- Air India Express and AIX Connect (erstwhile AirAsia India). Last year, Air India announced its plans to induct on lease 11 B777s -- six B777-300ER and five B777-200-LR, primarily to operate its flights on North American routes. He also said that two of the three long-grounded Boeing 787s have also returned to service.

Significantly all this comes amid the aviation safety regulator DGCA temporarily suspending all training at Air India's Mumbai and Hyderabad facilities after it found certain "lapses" during a spot check. The Mumbai facility imparts training to Boeing fleet pilots and the Hyderabad facility is used for training of operating the narrowbody Airbus A320 family fleet. "The Group Hiring Cell (GHC) has successfully recruited and onboarded more than 650 pilots since April 1," Wilson said in his weekly message to employees.

GHC is the airline's first integrated, cross-AOC (air operator certificate) and cross-functional teams. Executives from the three airlines came together to recruit pilots en masse, he said, adding that recruitment is (still) going on. Meanwhile, the Competition Commission on Friday approved the proposed merger of AI and Vistara. The development is a major step forward for Tata Group in consolidating its aviation business. “CCI approves the merger of Tata SIA Airlines into Air India, and acquisition of certain shareholding by Singapore Airlines in Air India subject to compliance of voluntary commitments offered by the parties,” it said on platform X.