Air India pilots’ unions, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG), have alleged that the airline’s management is intimidating and coercing some of their members to extend flight duty timings beyond the prescribed limits. In a joint letter to the Air India Managing Director and CEO Campbell Wilson, the unions highlighted their concerns about compromising safety and violating regulations. The unions represent pilots from both the narrow body and wide body fleets of Air India.
The unions claim that some pilots are facing intimidation and coercion from the Director of Operations and base managers to extend their Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) beyond the prescribed limits. They allege that this includes threats of jeopardizing their career progression. The unions have described this situation as a matter of grave concern and have called for immediate intervention to investigate these allegations and put an end to any coercive practices related to FDTL extensions.
These allegations from the pilots’ unions come in the context of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, recently announcing revised FDTL norms for pilots. The new norms include increased weekly rest periods, an extension in night hours by an hour, and a reduction in the number of night landings.
The unions have emphasized their commitment to upholding the highest standards of safety and compliance within the organization. However, they argue that the reported incidents undermine these principles and pose a serious risk to personnel and operational integrity. If the alleged coercive practices continue, the unions have warned that they will be compelled to inform regulatory authorities and provide evidence, including call records, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Copies of the letter raising these concerns have been marked to key stakeholders, including Tata Group, Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Air India Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Klaus Goersch, and Chief of Flight Safety Rajeev Gupta.
Air India has not yet responded to these allegations from the pilots’ unions.
