MUMBAI: Air India will require more than 6,500 pilots to operate 470 aircraft that are to be supplied by Airbus and Boeing in the coming years, according to industry sources.
Seeking to expand fleet as well as operations, the airline has placed orders for acquiring a total of 840 aircraft that includes an option to buy 370 planes. This is one of the largest aircraft order by any airline.
Currently, Air India has around 1,600 pilots to operate its 113 aircraft fleet and in recent times, there have been instances of ultra-long haul flights getting cancelled or delayed due to shortage of crew.
The airline’s two subsidiaries Air India Express and AirAsia India together have around 850 pilots for flying their 54 planes while the joint venture Vistara has more than 600 pilots. The latter has a fleet of 53 aircraft, one of the sources told reporters.
Air India, Air India Express, Vistara and AirAsia India together have a little over 3,000 pilots to operate the combined fleet of 220 aircraft.
The latest Airbus firm order comprises 210 A320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000. The Boeing firm order comprises 190 737-Max, 20 787s and 10 777s.
“Air India is taking these 40 A350 majorly for its ultra long-haul routes or flights which last over 16 hours. The airline will require 30 pilots 15 commanders and 15 first officers per aircraft, which means some 1,200 pilots for A350s alone,” the source in the know said.
According to the source, 26 pilots are required for one Boeing 777. If the airline inducts 10 such planes, it will require 260 pilots while 20 Boeing 787 will require some 400 pilots considering that each such aircraft needs 20 pilots 10 commanders and 10 first officers.
Taken together, the induction of 30 wide-body Boeing planes would require a total of 660 pilots, sources said.