Air India to hire 5,100 this year as it expands fleet

NEW DELHI: Air India will hire 5,100 crew members - 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots - this year as it prepares to induct hundreds of aircraft in its fleet over the next decade. The airline has already employed over 1,900 cabin crew and 285 pilots so far since last April.

The Tata Group had taken over AI and AI Express in the end of January 2022 and last week placed a record firm order for 470 aircraft (70 wide-body and 400 single-aisles) and has an option for 370 more planes, which it can convert into a firm order at a later date. In addition to these, AI has decided to lease 36 planes of which two wide-bodies have already been inducted into its fleet.

Cabin crew, who will be recruited from across the country, will undergo a 15-week programme imparting safety and service skills, and will be "coached to exemplify the best of Indian hospitality and Tata Group culture". Between May 2022 and February 2023, Air India has hired over 1,900 cabin crew. Over 1,100 cabin crew have been trained in the last seven months (between July '22-January '23), and in the past three months, 500 cabin crew have been released for flying by the airline.

Sandeep Verma, AI's head of inflight services, said, "With a sizeable aircraft order that was announced earlier in the month, more flights on international and domestic networks, and re-alignment of domestic routes with AIX Connect, cabin crew will play a decisive role in shaping the present and future of the Air India Group... We are also looking to step up hiring of more pilots and maintenance engineers." The Tata Group employs nearly 10 lakh people across its companies.

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