# Air India hikes pilot pay up to 15% to stem attrition 2026-08-07T15:51:11+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Air India has hiked pilot fixed pay by 8-15% and revised flying allowances to check attrition, sources said. Commanders get the largest increase. The airline will continue to guarantee pay for 40 hours a month but has raised hourly rates for flying beyond that threshold. Boeing 737 commanders at Air India Express will get a one-time allowance of Rs 21 lakh spread over three years, while senior first officers will receive Rs 10 lakh, the sources said. Under a new career framework, Air India Express will be the primary route to command. Pilots must first gain command experience at the low-cost carrier before progressing to wide-body operations at Air India. A common seniority pool across the two airlines will allow pilots to move into long-haul flying. Annual privilege leave has been cut from 30 to 24 days. Air India Group has grown from 100 aircraft to nearly 300 since 2022 and has 600 new aircraft on order, The Hindu reports. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - timesnownews.com Tags: Air India, Air India Express, attrition, Boeing 737, career progression, pilot pay Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-hikes-pilot-pay-8-15-overhauls-career-path/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-hikes-pilot-pay-8-15-overhauls-career-path/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.