Centre gives in to Sonia demand, AI to hire half its pilots from Indira Gandhi academy

This comes hardly a fortnight after Air India Express — a low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India — agreed to visit IGRUA to recruit 40 pilots, as reported by The Indian Express on July 24. This was in response to Sonia’s letter — dated April 1, 2015 — where she had reminded the Civil Aviation Ministry of Air India’s promise to hire 50 per cent of its pilots from IGRUA.

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Seeking online applications to fill up posts of 180 pilots from August 7, Air India has listed two categories. While the first category of 90 posts is for commercial pilot license holders from IGRUA, the other category will cater to 90 posts to be chosen from “other CPL Holders (open market)”.

Among the 90 posts that Air India will fill from IGRUA, it will choose pilots from 12 SC, 8 ST, 50 OBC and 20 General categories. Similarly, for pilots to be hired from “open market”, 12 will be from SC, 7 ST, 50 OBC and 21 from General categories.

The last date for submission of applications is August 27. Air India will pay stipend of Rs 25,000 during the training period. Later, those hired will be appointed as co-pilot on a five-year contract. During this period, those hired will be paid Rs 80,000 per month. In addition, they will be paid Rs 1,500 per hour as flying allowance. While the upper age limit of candidates has been set as 35 years for general category recruits, it is 40 years for SC and ST and 38 for OBC candidates.

“Such a large campus recruitment will take place after a long time at IGRUA. As many as 150 commercial pilot license holders from IGRUA are awaiting appointment. While Air India Express will come to the campus on August 31 for its recruitment drive, Air India itself will fill 50 per cent of its vacancies from IGRUA,” said its director V K Verma.

Last time, Air India had selected 62 commercial pilots from IGRUA in 2010, who were finally hired in 2012. Sources said a large number of CPL holders have been waiting for appointment for over three years and had taken huge bank loans to pay the high fees of the institute.

Asked about high number of OBC candidates to be recruited by Air India, Verma said: “All institutions have some posts to be fulfilled under certain categories. Air India might need more OBC candidates and has thus kept have the number higher.”

On whether IGRUA will be able to provide candidates accordingly, Verma said as the institute also has reserved category students, it will not be a problem.