AirAsia India cuts pilots’ salary by 40% for May, June

MUMBAI: AirAsia India has slashed salary of its pilots by an average 40 per cent for May and June, an airline source said.
However, the quantum of reduction in pay for other categories and senior management remains at the April level, he said.
The senior management at AirAsia India had taken a pay cut of 20 per cent in April, while the wages of executives falling in other categories were reduced between 7-17 per cent.
However, employees getting a salary of Rs 50,000 per month or less were spared of the move.
The Tata-SIA joint venture carrier, which will be completing six years of operations next week, has a workforce of around 2,500 people.
As many as 600 of them are pilots for its 30 Airbus A320 aircraft fleet.
“Earlier a pilot was being paid for a fixed 70 hours irrespective of flying or no flying, which has now been reduced to 20 hours. This way, the average salary of a first officer (junior pilot) has come down to Rs 40,000 per month from 1.40 lakh, and that of a captain (senior pilot) to Rs 1 lakh from 3.45 lakh,” the source told PTI.
The reduction in pay accounts for 40 per cent of the total average salary of a pilot, he said.
Responding to a PTI query on the issue, an AirAsia India spokesperson said, “We do not comment on the internal matters pertaining to the company.”