Tata Group-owned national carrier Air India has recently graduated its maiden batch of cabin crew trainees and new pilots since privatization. The batch of 215 cabin crew and 48 pilots, all Indian nationals, have received their wings and are now ready to be deployed to operate as fully-qualified crew.

Cherry-picked from the masses

As part of its massive expansion plans, Air India announced that it was open to hiring for several positions across numerous departments, such as management, visual design, cybersecurity, and other non-operational roles. The airline also opened vacancies for cabin crew and pilots, primarily to operate its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. And when the national carrier hosted such an extensive recruitment drive, the responses weren't surprising.

More than 73,000 applications were received within two months, with some applicants rumored to have jumped ship from other Indian carriers. Cabin crew positions saw at least 72,000 applications, and pilot roles witnessed at least 1,700 applications. But among the immense numbers of applications, only a small percentage was selected to go through the subsequent phases with Air India.

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Prepared with training

The cabin crew trainees underwent a 15-week intensive program imparting safety and quality service skills to embody the best Indian hospitality and the Tata Group Culture. The training program included extensive classroom and in-flight education at the airline's training facility in Mumbai and also through familiarisation flights.

As for the new pilots, the maiden batch consisted of 40 men and eight women, all of whom successfully completed their training at the airline's training campus in Hyderabad. Celebrating the deployment of Air India's maiden batch of new hires was Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson, as he highlighted:

“We are delighted to welcome these new Air Indians to the team, handpicked from India’s growing talent pool. Air India is hiring across all business areas and from all parts of the country to support our transformation and ambitions growth plans. Attracting and developing enthusiastic and capable people is an important and crucial part of our Vihaan.AI transformation program."

Besides the two graduating batches, the national carrier has more than 59 new pilots in various stages of training and en route to their graduation soon, which further support's its ambitious growth plan. With a reinforced workforce, Air India can continue expanding its fleet and network, such as recently upgrading the frequency of flights between key cities within its domestic sector.

The airline has also expanded its international sector, with direct flights between Indian cities and key global destinations like Doha, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Birmingham. Furthermore, Air India is set to commence direct flights from Delhi to key European cities like Milan, Vienna, and Copenhagen and from Mumbai to New York, Paris, and Frankfurt.

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Preparing for the merger

However, the recruitment and workforce expansion plans for Air India do not stop there, as the airline is still actively hosting recruitment drives for both cabin crew and pilot positions. Although the end-November pilot recruitment drive just closed on December 4th, an interview for interested cabin crew applicants will happen on December 8th.

It's also likely that Air India will be hosting more hiring sprees next year, as the airline is preparing itself for the highly-anticipated merger with fellow Tata Group counterpart, Vistara. Under the merger, Air India will become the more significant entity as the country's second-larger carrier, so it is no wonder the airline is making all the effort to improve its operational foundations right now.

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  Air India

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AI/AIC

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1946

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Campbell Wilson

  Country:

  India

  Region:

  Asia