Air India’s problem of pilot-shortage has escalated with the Pilots Association complaining to Air India management with the existing workforce are bearing the brunt of excess workload. The union has expressed its displeasure to the management about the functioning of crew management system (CMS) and day operations. In a letter to T.P.S. Dhaliwal, Executive Director, Operations, Air India, the union said: “While we are extending cooperation due to shortage of flying staff, it shouldn't be misconstrued as our weakness.”
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association and Indian Pilots Guild has flagged a number of issues related to their punishing schedules and work fatigue. "Since the Air India management, in its wisdom, is paying pilots on actual flying hours, the responsibility lies with the operator to distribute the amount of work, especially fatigue inducing duties, equally amongst available flight crew," they said in the letter.
They have highlighted several issues related to the CMS such as no equalisation of night stop flights and international layover flights, and inefficient equalisation of actual flying hours across the bases and the fleet, and the absence of proper rotation of flights.
"Changes are made to the printed roster without information or consent from concerned pilots. Controllers are harassing pilots on sick leave to report fit due to a shortage of pilots. This is a serious flight safety concern. A particular section of pilots is treated indifferently and marked refusal on DTA in violation of roster practices,” the letter further read.
News of pilot shortage at Air India came after several ultra-long-haul flights were affected by flight attendant shortages. Some of Air India’s flights to North America have been disrupted recently.
Meanwhile the pilots have expressed hope that good sense prevails and the management upholds the established norms, regulations and practices to maintain industrial peace and harmony.
Going ahead, Air India graduated its first batch of cabin crew trainees and new pilots earlier this month. The batch of 215 cabin crew and 48 pilots will soon join the airline's A320 fleet.