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India's Aviation Soars: Over 11,000 Pilots, 1,900 Women Take Flight

The Indian government has revealed that the country's major domestic airlines collectively employ over 11,000 pilots, with women constituting nearly 1,900 of this workforce. IndiGo leads as the largest employer with 5,200 pilots, followed by Air India with over 3,000. The data also shows varying pilot-to-aircraft ratios, with SpiceJet having the highest at 9.4 pilots per aircraft. This snapshot comes alongside a DGCA proposal to tighten regulatory oversight of foreign airlines operating in India.

Key Points: India Has Over 11,000 Pilots, 1,900 Are Women: Govt Data

  • 11,394 pilots in Indian airlines
  • 1,871 are female pilots
  • IndiGo is top employer with 5,200 pilots
  • Air India second with 3,123 pilots
  • SpiceJet has highest pilot-to-aircraft ratio
2 min read

India has over 11,000 pilots, nearly 1,900 are women: Govt

Indian airlines employ 11,394 pilots, with 1,871 being women. IndiGo leads with 5,200 pilots. See the full airline-wise breakdown and pilot-to-aircraft ratios.

"Indian airlines together employ 11,394 pilots, including 1,871 female pilots. - Murlidhar Mohol"

New Delhi, March 12

India currently has more than 11,000 pilots working with major domestic airlines, with nearly 1,900 of them being women, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that Indian airlines together employ 11,394 pilots, including 1,871 female pilots.

Among the airlines, IndiGo has the highest number of pilots in the country. The airline employs a total of 5,200 pilots, including 970 women.

"Air India is the second-largest employer of pilots with 3,123 pilots, including 508 female pilots," the minister stated.

Air India Express has 1,820 pilots, including 234 women, while Akasa Air employs 761 pilots, of whom 76 are women.

SpiceJet has 375 pilots with 58 women, and Alliance Air employs 115 pilots, including 25 female pilots.

The government also shared details of foreign pilots hired by Indian airlines. According to the data, Alliance Air employs 15 foreign pilots, Air India Express has hired 48, and IndiGo has 29 foreign pilots working with the airline.

The pilot-to-aircraft ratio also varies across airlines. SpiceJet has the highest ratio at 9.4 pilots per aircraft, followed by Akasa Air at 9.33 and Air India at 9.1.

Air India Express has a ratio of 8.8, while IndiGo's pilot-to-aircraft ratio stands at 7.6. Alliance Air has the lowest ratio among the airlines at six pilots per aircraft.

The government said these numbers reflect the current strength of pilots across major Indian airlines and provide an overview of workforce distribution in the country's aviation sector.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, DGCA has proposed to tighten rules for foreign airlines operating to and from India, including mandatory digital registration, stronger legal accountability for local representatives, and putting in place a formal passenger grievance reporting system.

In a draft aeronautical information circular issued by the regulator on Wednesday, seeks to strengthen the civil aviation regulator's oversight of foreign airlines.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see the data. But the pilot-to-aircraft ratio is a bit concerning for some airlines. Alliance Air at 6 pilots per aircraft seems low. Safety should always be the top priority, not just numbers.
A
Aditya G
IndiGo leading with 5200 pilots shows their massive scale. The aviation sector is growing so fast in India. Hope this means more job opportunities and better connectivity for tier 2 and 3 cities as well.
S
Sarah B
Interesting breakdown. The number of foreign pilots is quite small in comparison, which is good. It's important to develop and rely on our own skilled workforce. The new rules for foreign airlines also seem like a step in the right direction for passenger safety.
K
Kavya N
As someone who flies frequently for work, this is reassuring. A strong pilot workforce is the backbone of a safe aviation industry. Kudos to all the women and men keeping us safe in the skies! 🙏
M
Michael C
The data is promising, but the gender ratio is still about 17% women. There's room for improvement. Airlines and training institutes should actively encourage and support more women to take up this career. The potential is clearly there.

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