Inside India's Cockpit: The Rise of Domestic Pilots and Training Innovations

India's aviation sector employs nearly 14,000 pilots across major airlines, with Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo leading. Foreign pilots fill specific roles due to fleet expansion. India's training organizations upgrade facilities for growth, ensuring adherence to international aviation standards.

The Indian aviation industry currently employs a substantial number of pilots, with six major domestic airlines boasting a combined total of 13,989 pilots. Air India and its budget arm, Air India Express, lead with 6,350 and 1,592 pilots, respectively, while IndiGo follows with 5,085 cockpit crew members, according to parliamentary updates.

This information surfaced during a session in the Rajya Sabha, where Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol revealed that Akasa and SpiceJet employed 466 and 385 pilots, respectively. Alliance Air, a government-run airline, has employed 111 pilots to date. Mohol explained that pilot employment rates are influenced by market dynamics.

Regarding training, flying training organizations are upgrading their aircraft fleets regularly. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has enabled the induction of 61 training aircraft and plans to approve two additional training organizations by 2025. Presently, 40 flying training organizations operate across 62 bases in India. The DGCA ensures compliance with international standards through a rigorous regulatory framework and consistent safety assessments.