GURUGRAM- Tata SIA Joint Venture carrier, Vistara (UK) in a few days will no longer exist as it is set to merge with Air India (AI) on November 12, 2024, and it is time to see what will be the Pilots’ salary post-merger.
We asked some of our sources, studied the reports, went through previous information, and found out the average pay of Vistara First Officer and Captain before and after the merger.
Vistara Pilots Salary Update
In March 2024, Vistara Pilots went on mass sick leave to protest the new pay structure offered by Air India Group. Following this, over 100 flights were cancelled affecting hundreds of passengers.
It’s obvious that Vistara Pilots were earning better salaries and the new contract might had less or some restrictions on earnings. Let’s find out.
First Officer and Captain Pay Before Merger
As per the 70-hour guaranteed contract, Vistara’s Junior first officer earns an average of 2,00,000 INR monthly. While the First officer can get 3,20,000 INR. Further, the Senior First Officer can earn around 4,00,000 to 4,20,000 INR.
Well, all these salaries are average and you can correct us by emailing us at [email protected] or messaging us on social media pages.
Here’s the table to get the overview:
| Position | Salary |
| Junior First Officer | 2,00,000 INR |
| First Officer | 3,20,000 INR |
| Senior First Officer | 4,20,000 INR |
The salary of a Captain can range as:
- Entry Level- 7 to 10 Lakhs
- Senior- 9 to 13 Lakhs
- Highly Experienced- Over 15 lakhs
All the salary mentioned is monthly to give you a better idea and this all is subject to taxes. So the in-hand salary will be lower than the above-mentioned numbers.
Vistara First Officer and Captain Salary Post Merger
First Officers expressed dissatisfaction with the new pay structure introduced in February, which lowered the minimum guaranteed flying hours from 70 to 40 hours for all crew. This change led to junior pilots (including Junior First Officers and First Officers) experiencing a pay cut of approximately 80,000-1,40,000 INR from their monthly salary of 3,40,000 INR.
The airline has more than 1,000 flights and operates a fleet of 70 aircraft. They combined operate over 300 daily flights.
As per our source, Vistara flights post-merger operated by Air India as AI2 will not have separate pilots, unlike Cabin crew who will continue as Vistara Cabin Crew.
In simple terms, the Air India group will have a single pilot pool which will include all Vistara Pilots.
So with the new 40-hour contract and many still receiving 70-hour base contracts the impact will be minimal on the pay of pilots, says Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan.
However, some of the pilots have left the airline and joined IndiGo (6E) and some even left to join the Middle East carriers such as Qatar Airways (QR).
Situation at Air India
Also, an Air India pilot who asked for anonymity told Aviation A2Z,
“Well, the salary structure has gone backward since Covid times for most of the First Officers, in fact, the new contract has been a pay cut for most of the experienced First Officers.”
The same is the case with Vistara junior pilots who face up to 50% pay cuts. Also, it’s difficult to find out the average pay as management has offered individual contracts to pilots based on their work and position. As it is confidential information, many pilots avoid sharing it online or with us.
The anonymous pilot continued, “We are doing 40-60 hours a month this was earlier 90 hours but since an influx of new pilots the flights have drastically reduced to 1 or 2 ULRs a month which is great because every ULR flight takes an extreme toll on the body due to the long flying hours, change in time zone and sleeping patterns continuously but considering there’s no fixed pay of 70 hours, (which is an industry-standard) our salaries are taking a major hit. There has also been a shortage of aircraft recently which will also affect our flying hours now due to no fault of the pilots.”
Pilot continues, “Earlier our overtime pay was also great. The per hour rate was 2900 and overtime 70-90hrs was 3500 and 90-100hrs was 5000.”
The new pay structure not only affects pilots financially but does psychologically.
“Not to mention the appreciation for being pulled out at the last minute for a flight is pathetic and borderline insulting. ” We are sorry you can’t attend your child’s birthday, but here’s 2500 rupees”. If you are going to destroy our personal lives at least make it worth our while,” added an Air India pilot.
My Take
We will make a separate post on Vistara Cabin Crew, Engineers, and Technicians’ pay before and after the merger, once we gather the real information. Stay tuned.
For few people outside of aviation, a pilot salary looks attractive and fancy but it comes after lots of investment in training, flying, and challenges to get a job.
Remember they have paid around one crore INR or even more for their training and they are getting 30-36 lakh annually which will take them years to compensate for the time and money they invested.
Many pilots take education loans or debt to finance the training which comes with heavy interest so they also have to pay them as well.
Next time you see a pilot, cabin crew, ground staff, engineer or aircraft technician make sure to say thank you as they struggle a lot to make you fly. Appreciate the challenges they face fierce competition and the risk they take daily to keep you safe.
Further, they have to stay updated with refresher courses, and carry out regular medical tests and cannot enjoy much during layover as they have to fly again.
Some loyal Vistara customers are not happy with the merger but it’s already written. It’s actually for the betterment of Air India and they must carry forward the loyalty, service, and experience Vistara offers on its flights.
Let us know your thoughts on Air India and Vistara merger in the comments of our social media channels.
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