IndiGo Raises Pilot Allowances Ahead of New Year After Mass Flight Cancellations

IndiGo, the largest private airline in the country, has gifted its pilots a New Year's boost by significantly raising their allowances. After the recent cancellation of 4,500 flights caused by roster management issues and considerable passenger inconvenience, the airline aims to lift pilot morale. Sources indicate that these allowance hikes, from ₹25 to ₹2,000, span categories such as domestic layover, deadhead, and night allowances. Pilots will also now be eligible for a tail-swap allowance, which involves exchanging aircraft, a benefit not previously available. These changes will take effect from January 1. 

The airline states that the layover allowance has increased from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 for captains and from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 for first officers. Deadheading allowances, paid for traveling as a passenger during duty, have been raised by ₹1,000. For hours exceeding 24, captains will now earn ₹150 per hour instead of ₹100, and first officers ₹75 instead of ₹50. Night allowances have also increased, with captains receiving ₹2,000 and first officers ₹1,000 per hour. 

Additional allowances include a rise in deadhead pay for fixed block hours, from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 for captains and from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 for first officers. Transit meal allowances for captains have doubled from ₹500 to ₹1,000. 

These moves come amid intense competition from foreign airlines seeking to attract Indian pilots. The airline hopes that these financial incentives will ease pilot resentment and ensure smooth operations, especially after recent flight cancellations that have drawn regulatory scrutiny and warnings of significant financial penalties from Moody's.