Unease among pilots as Air India plans voluntary ‘flexi contract’ scheme

New Delhi: Air India is set to introduce a controversial voluntary “flexi contract model” that could see widebody pilots working just 15 days a month while narrowbody crews clock 20 days, a move insiders say reflects cost pressures and rising pilot numbers and has raised eyebrows across the aviation industry.

The scheme, to be rolled out in two phases between January and March 2026, will initially exclude Boeing 787 pilots and Delhi-based crew operating Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline has said the scheme will be mandatory but pilots are questioning whether the voluntary offer masks a cost-cutting exercise that could slash their earnings by up to 40%, and eventually become a permanent feature.