While passenger demand for air travel is on the rebound again, allowing at least a few airlines to clock profits, pilots in the country are a disgruntled lot as they continue to reel under steep pay cuts despite hectic work hours.
A pilot at a budget airline says her pay cut has taken her salary back by 10 years when she earned a mere ₹60,000 per month as a new recruit and a junior pilot (or first officer) while she spent ₹1 crore for her pilot training.
Though on paper the airline had imposed a pay cut of 28%, flying allowances, that comprise a substantial chunk of a pilot’s salary, have been shaved off by 50%.
