Unease among pilots as Air India plans ‘flexi contract’

Air India is set to introduce a controversial “flexi contract model” that could see widebody pilots working just 15 days a month while narrowbody crews clock 20 days,a move insiders say reflects cost pressures and rising pilot numbers—and has raised eyebrows across the aviation industry.

- Neha LM Tripathi

The scheme, to be rolled out in two phases between January and March 2026, will initially exclude Boeing 787 pilots and Delhi-based crew operating Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline has said the scheme will be mandatory but pilots are questioning whether the voluntary offer masks a cost-cutting exercise that could slash their earnings by up to 40%, and eventually become a permanent feature.

“As per the plan, a widebody pilot will get work for 15 daysina month and a narrowbody pilot will get 20 days of work. This means a further loss of flying hours, which have already been reduced from almost 90 hours a month pre-Covid to almost 50-55 hoursa month after privatisation,” one of the persons privy to the information said, asking not to be named.

The airline confirmed the development, describing it as a “voluntary offer to its pilots operating certain aircraft types to opt for a lesser number of working days with commensurate payments.” “This offer is entirely voluntary and will address the longstanding desire amongst some pilots to have more personal time available for themselves,” an Air India spokesperson said, adding that pilots could continue with their current full work schedule if they preferred.

However, pilots have sharply criticised the rationale behind the model, which the airline has described asa step “towards supporting the evolving needs of the airline’s pilot community while upholding operational efficiency.”