Mar 20, 2025 08:44 PM IST
IndiGo currently has 5,463 pilots and will need 11,778 pilots next. Similarly, Tata Air India has 3,280 pilots and will need 5,870
New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, will require more than 11,000 pilots in the next ten years, followed by Air India, which will need over 5,800 pilots in a decade, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said on Thursday
According to the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), SpiceJet will need 1,630 pilots, Akasa Air does not have immediate demands, Air India Express will need 2,196 pilots by financial year (FY) 2028, Mohol said in a written reply to lawmakers Kuldeep Indora and Gaurav Gogoi.
IndiGo currently has 5,463 pilots and will need 11,778 pilots next. Similarly, Tata Air India has 3,280 pilots and will need 5,870. Air India Express employs 2,169 pilots, SpiceJet has 369 pilots, and the country’s youngest airline, Akasa Air, currently has 787 pilots, the minister, clarifying that there is no shortage of trained pilots in airlines.
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“The government has received a representation from the Airlines Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) regarding the regulation of training costs charged by airlines from aspiring trainee pilots, with the high cost of Type Rating charged by airlines being highlighted”, he said.
Speaking on the pilot training programs, Mohol said that these programs are highly technical and super-specialised and the cost of training is determined by the high cost of fuel (AvGas 100LL) used in aircraft, the high cost of aircraft spare parts, imported flight simulators for training, and the type of aircraft and number of aircraft for training.
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The minister said that most of the aircraft used in the country for training are manufactured abroad and, hence, expensive.
Indian aviation has been on an upswing in the last two to three years due to consolidation. As passenger numbers grow, Indian airlines have been expanding, leading to more demand for crew.
In 2024, Indian airlines added 134 aircraft to their fleets compared to 119 the year before, data on the website showed on Tuesday. Of the 134 planes, full-service carrier Air India inducted 24 aircraft, including five A350s. Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm, introduced 18 new aircraft.
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