Air India settles with ICPA over pay parity for pilots

Mumbai: Strike prone, state owned carrier, Air India, may have reached an agreement with pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines on the contentious issue of pay parity with their colleagues from the erstwhile Air India (International). With the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) threatening another strike over the issue, the airline's management may have agreed to its demands for fixed allowances each month.

This would bring ICPA members at par with their Air India (International) colleagues.

ICPA argue that Air India pilots earn a fixed allowance for 80 hours irrespective of hours flown in a month. Also AI pilots get a fixed $1,500-2,000 allowance when flying abroad.

In contrast, Indian Airlines pilots are paid only for hours flown.

It is being given to understand that ex-Indian Airlines pilots would be paid a fixed flying allowance for 72 hours each month. Further, they would get $1,000-1,500 as layover allowance on assignments to fly abroad.

Sources indicated that this was just an interim settlement, as the issue of pay parity was still before the justice DM Dharmadhikari committee.