IndiGo courts rivals’ pilots as flight chaos sparks talent war

Under fire for mass cancellation of flights, India's largest air-carrier IndiGo has started calling up pilots at rival airlines who can fly Airbus planes, dangling hefty bonuses and asking them to join, as it struggles to stabilize operations.

- Dipali Ba Devina Sengupta

Under fire for mass cancellation of flights, India's largest air-carrier IndiGo has started calling up pilots at rival airlines who can fly Airbus planes, dangling hefty bonuses and asking them to join, as it struggles to stabilize operations.

However, it may not be easy for IndiGo to persuade pilots at rivals to make the switch amid concerns the company's troubles are far over, as the government launched a probe into the fiasco and vowed action, industry executives and pilots said.

Moreover, the war for pilots is set to intensify, as the Tata Group-owned rival Air India has advertised a recruitment drive just when IndiGo is desperately looking to hire pilots.