Air India, hiring agencies to discuss expat pilots’ wage cut

Mumbai: Air India has convened a meeting of foreign pilots’ recruitment agencies on Wednesday to discuss its proposal to slash wages by 10%, in its bid to reduce costs and the differences between the pay packets of Indian and foreign pilots.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the agencies opposing any unilateral move on lowering foreign pilots’ wages and allowances and demanding negotiations before any such decision being implemented.
The agencies, supplying foreign pilots to the national carrier, have also asked the management not to go ahead with its plan of implementing the proposal from January 1.
Nacil had said a Boeing-737 commanding pilot is paid $10,000, while a B-777 commander $12,700, a B-747 and Airbus A-310 commander get $8,750 as salary.
They also get an annual bonus of $12,000, $13,000 and $15,000 on completion of one, two and three/four years in service respectively.
In addition, the company spends up to Rs7,500 per day to accommodate them in hotels and provide chauffeur-driven AC cars for non-flying duties as well.
Air India has around 153 foreign pilots, besides 1,253 Indian pilots and about 200 trainees.
The expat pilots are paid through approved agencies which are given a monthly fee. The national carrier hires expat pilots through global pilots recruitment agencies like Rishworth Aviation Ltd, Sigma, EDL (Economic Dynamics), Aviator, N.G.Aviation, Tital and Next Gen, with the first three providing over 90% of foreign pilots.
13/12/09 PTI/Live Mint

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