Parliament Tally Puts India’s Airline Pilot Count at 13,989 as IndiGo Lags Rivals in Crew Growth

Overview

• The civil aviation minister told Parliament that six major carriers employ 13,989 pilots, including Air India with 6,350, Air India Express with 1,592, IndiGo with 5,085, Akasa with 466, SpiceJet with 385, and Alliance Air with 111.
• Despite operating a smaller fleet than IndiGo, Air India has more pilots because long-haul wide-body operations require augmented crews and longer rest windows.
• Industry data show IndiGo expanded its cockpit crew by about 33% between FY22 and FY24, the slowest among major carriers, while Tata group airlines roughly doubled their pilot strength.
• Reporting indicates IndiGo plans to add roughly 900 pilots, with 158 expected by February 10 and another 742 by December next year.
• The minister said India has 40 flying training organisations across 62 bases, with 61 training aircraft inducted and two FTOs approved in 2025 to support pilot training capacity.