Air India is once again facing the problem of crew shortages on its US flights as many Air India North American flights have been delayed lately as per reports from Press Trust of India (PTI). The last few days have seen Air India cancel three flights to San Francisco and one to Vancouver. Many of the flights that have been able to operate to North America have faced delays of around 10-12 hours.
The airline was facing the same problem a few months back on its 777 deployed on the North America route. The airline is currently on a look-out for qualified 777 pilots as it plans to ramp up its long-haul flights.
Prior to this, Air India faced a similar problem due to pandemic, leading to backlogs and staffing challenges.
Air India received two Boeing 777 aircraft previously belonging to Delta Air Lines. With more 777s to come, Air India will need qualified pilots to fly the widebodies. In November 2022 Air India was seeking around 100 pilots and was even willing to hire expats to do the job.
With Air India close to signing a deal of 40 widebody Airbus A350s, the airline will be needing more qualified widebody crew for the robust expansion plan at hand.