Air India sees exit and return of pilots

New Delhi: Air India has become a revolving door for its prized but disappointed pilots, with many threatening to quit and some returning to the fold after resigning. In past few days, eight pilots — who quit to join mega carriers like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar — have rejoined the Maharaja. 

The airline has now formulated a policy for accepting pilots back as a full scale poaching war has been unleashed by Gulf carriers.
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad, for instance, is holding an “open day” to recruit Airbus A-320 pilots (the backbone of AI’s domestic operations) in Gurgaon this weekend. “The location has been chosen as A-320s are used by erstwhile Indian Airlines and IndiGo, both of which are Delhi-based and a majority of their pilots are stationed here. With AI (domestic) pilots highly disgruntled due to the management’s failure to have pay parity in the now merged AI and IA, this airline could witness an exodus,” said a source. But the lure of sarkari job is proving to be strong for many pilots, who quit AI in recent months. Four A-320 pilots, who went to Emirates and four Boeing B-777 pilots, who left for Etihad and Qatar have returned to AI.
Now, AI has decided that those pilots who are ready to rejoin before their resignation process has been completed will be taken back at the bottom of seniority and posted wherever the airline needs them.
27/03/14 Saurabh Sinha/Economic Times