Pilots at Air India will now retire at 65 instead of 58. The retirement age has been increased for non-flying staff too, from 58 to 60. This was announced by Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India, at a recent townhall.
The retirement age has reportedly been increased to bring it at par with Vistara and will benefit the Air India workforce which is about 24,000 strong, including about 3,600 pilots and 9,500 cabin crew.
There is no official confirmation of an increase in retirement age for cabin crew, which is presently 58 years.
As per regulations of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the retirement age of commercial pilots cannot exceed 65. Most pilots of Air India who have attained the age of 58 are said to be working on extension.
As part of the ongoing transformation of the workforce in alignment with Air India’s goals of becoming a modern, efficient and customer-focused airline, the average age of non-flying staff has been brought down from 54 to 35 years. For cabin crew, the average age has decreased to 29. This shift has been achieved through a mix of fresh recruitment, voluntary exits and integration of teams after the merger of four airlines under the Air India brand. Since the Tata Group took over the airline, there has been a clear shift in the age and profile of its employees.
