The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) has issued a stark warning to Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata about rising safety concerns due to experienced pilots leaving the Air India Group, particularly at Air India Express. In an open letter to Tata leadership, ALPA India categorically framed this as a flight-safety issue rather than just an internal personnel matter. The association cited three specific incidents as evidence of operational risks from pilot attrition, including an Air India flight to Phuket, a tail strike incident, and a go-around incident. ALPA India claims that pilots are leaving due to stagnant pay, reduced perks, and worsening work conditions, with the main reasons being that their income has not kept up with expectations, perks have been cut, and working conditions have continuously deteriorated. The latest developments show that experienced pilots play a critical role beyond flying operations, particularly in training and mentoring new recruits, maintaining operational continuity and managing disruptions. A sustained outflow of senior cockpit crew could therefore add pressure on an airline already undertaking rapid fleet expansion and organisational restructuring.
ALPA India has called for an independent review of Air India Group's pilot workforce, training and safety systems, arguing that minimum regulatory compliance alone cannot be the benchmark for a world-class airline. In its latest open letter to Tata leadership, the association said the review should examine pilot attrition, remuneration, roster practices, fatigue data, training standards and trends emerging from the airline's Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) programme. The pilots' body also sought an assessment of the effectiveness of the Group's Safety Management System (SMS) in identifying human-factor risks. ALPA India emphasized that experienced pilots are not entries on a manpower spreadsheet, arguing that their operational judgement and institutional knowledge were important safety assets. The association pointed to three operational occurrences during 2026 that warranted closer examination: a hard landing involving an Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Phuket in March, a tail strike involving an Air India Airbus A321 during a go-around in Bengaluru in May, and the August incident involving Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi. The letter also raised concerns about pilots moving between Airbus and Boeing fleets, saying such transitions require robust training, adequate consolidation periods and careful management of the experience mix in the cockpit.
Air India's UK passenger traffic has fallen significantly faster than capacity since the AI171 crash on June 12, 2025, highlighting the combined impact of weaker demand, airspace restrictions and geopolitical disruptions. According to aviation analytics company Cirium data reviewed by Business Standard, in June 2025, Air India's scheduled seat capacity on the India-UK route was 28.6% higher year-on-year, while passenger traffic rose 14.8% Y-o-Y. However, by July 2025, capacity grew only 13.3% Y-o-Y while passenger traffic increased just 2.2% Y-o-Y. The decline accelerated sharply from August onwards, with capacity declining 3.9% Y-o-Y in August while passenger traffic fell 12%, followed by capacity declining 3.5% Y-o-Y in September but passenger traffic plunging 19.2%. In October, capacity was almost unchanged with just 0.4% growth, while passenger traffic fell 14.3% Y-o-Y.
India's aviation sector is experiencing a severe safety crisis that threatens its growth trajectory, with recent developments highlighting ongoing operational challenges. The latest incident involved an Air India flight from Mumbai to London's Heathrow Airport (AI-131) on August 4, 2023, where an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft (VT-ANW) suffered an engine surge followed by an in-flight shutdown during climb. The aircraft, carrying 267 people, returned to Mumbai where it made an overweight landing on a single engine without any injuries. The final investigation report found that an HPC Stage-10 blade was released due to improper installation of locking lugs in 2018, leading to the engine surge and subsequent shutdown. This incident follows the 2022 Bhiwani crash of a Tecnam P2006T operated by FSTC Flying School Pvt Ltd, which prompted the DGCA to issue safety recommendations and advise flying training organizations to "avoid parking Tecnam aircraft on apron/tarmac for prolonged periods during the summer season."
Air India has requested $1.5 billion in additional funding, with Singapore Airlines Group facing potential impact as it owns a 25.1% stake in the loss-making carrier. Singapore Airlines Group's net profit dropped 57% to SGD 1.184 billion (₹8,900 crore) in the fiscal year ended March 2026, mainly due to Air India losses. Air India's losses stood at more than SGD 3.56 billion (over ₹26,700 crore) in the financial year ended March 2026, as the carrier grappled with airspace curbs and other headwinds. Singapore Airlines' board will carefully consider Air India's requests for additional capital after taking into consideration the group's other capital requirements. Singapore's Member of Parliament Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat has flagged concerns about Singapore Airlines investing more in Air India, stating "no one, least of all Singaporeans, owes Air India a living."
The pilot exodus warning comes amid ongoing efforts by Air India and Air India Express to address retention concerns through revised compensation packages. The two carriers hiked pilot salaries by around 9-15% earlier this month, with Air India also introducing a one-time transfer allowance of ₹10 lakh to ₹21 lakh for pilots willing to shift to its low-cost arm, Air India Express. However, even after these revised packages, pilots continue to raise concerns about working conditions. ALPA India has outlined comprehensive demands including competitive pay, retirement benefits, transparent career progression, and safeguards during fleet transitions. To ensure better work-life balance, the association is calling for real, usable leave, stable rosters, protected rest periods, and robust fatigue-risk management. The pilots have also requested business-class travel for positioning flights, a non-punitive safety reporting culture, and guaranteed consultation prior to policy changes. Recent developments show that pilots have flagged issues around the dependence of a portion of their earnings on aircraft utilisation and flying hours, amid discussions over revised salary arrangements.
