Mumbai:

A pilots’ grouping on Tuesday alleged that Air India and IndiGo have a tacit understanding not to hire pilots from each other, saying that employment in the aviation sector should remain fair.

Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India), a member associate of the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Association (IFALPA), has flagged the issue to the civil aviation ministry.

Air India and IndiGo did not comment on PTI’s queries about the pilots’ grouping’s allegations.

An IndiGo official said there was no substance in the allegations.

In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, ALPA India has expressed concerns regarding recent reports that Air India and IndiGo have agreed not to hire each other’s pilots.

“Such an arrangement, if true, raises serious legal and ethical questions as it restricts the fundamental right to employment and fair competition,” the letter said.

ALPA India has urged the minister to ensure that employment in the aviation sector remains fair, open and in line with constitutional and legal principles.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets and more than 1,800 planes are on order. There is also a rising demand for pilots as carriers expand their fleet to cater to the air traffic growth.

ALPA India represents over 800 pilots across airlines and helicopter companies.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A video of an IndiGo plane struggling to land in Chennai ahead of Cyclone Fengal’s landfall has gone viral. The plane is seen trying to land amid heavy turbulence as the cyclone led to heavy rain and strong winds in the city yesterday. At the last moment, it aborts touchdown and flies away. IndiGo has confirmed the incident and said that the Mumbai-Chennai flight faced adverse weather, including rain and gusty winds, so it went for a go-around – which is usually done when a safe landing cannot be achieved.

“Due to adverse weather conditions, including rain and strong, gusty winds (which later led to the closure of Chennai airport), the cockpit crew of flight 6E 683, operating between Mumbai and Chennai, executed a go-around on November 30, 2024, in accordance with established safety protocols,” said IndiGo.

The airline clarified that such maneuvers are standard and the pilots are properly trained to handle such situations.

“This is a standard and safe maneuver, and our pilots are extensively trained to handle such situations with the utmost professionalism. A go-around is performed when a safe landing cannot be achieved, as was the case with this flight,” the statement added.

The plane landed in Chennai around 12:40 pm, shortly before the airport shut operations till the next day in the wake of the cyclone.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall last night, triggering heavy rain across the coastal districts in northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. At least three people were killed in rain-related incidents in Chennai, parts of which were left waterlogged.

Airfares are set to shoot up as one of India’s largest airlines IndiGo has introduced a distance-based “fuel charge” on domestic and international routes. According to the company, the fuel tax will vary between Rs 300 and Rs 1,000 per sector. This decision was made in response to the recent sharp increase in the price of jet fuel. ATF (aviation turbine fuel) accounts for a substantial portion of an airline’s operating expenses, necessitating fare adjustment to address such cost surge, IndiGo said.

“IndiGo, India’s leading airline, is introducing a fuel charge on domestic and international routes, effective 00:01hrs October 06, 2023. The decision follows the significant increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, which have surged in the last three months with consecutive price hikes every month,” the airline said in a press note. 

What is IndiGo’s fuel surcharge? 

Issuing a statement, IndiGo said, “Under this pricing structure, passengers booking IndiGo flights will incur a fuel charge, per sector, based on the sector distance”. 

According to the press note, the airline will now charge Rs 300 for trips under 500 km, Rs 400 for distances between 510 and 1,000km, Rs 550 for trips between 1,001 and 1,500 km, Rs 650 for trips between 1,501 and 2,500 km, Rs 800 for trips between 2,501 and 3,500 km, and Rs 1,000 for trips more than 3,501 km. 

“IndiGo remains committed to offering affordable fares to its valued customers. IndiGo will also publish the tariff sheet subsequently, with the sector-wise charge that can be viewed on http://www.goindigo.in,” the airline said.

ATF price hike 

On October 1, the cost of aviation turbine fuel, or jet fuel, increased by 5 per cent – the fourth straight monthly increase since July. According to price notification of state-owned fuel retailers, jet fuel has been increased by Rs 5,779.84 per kilolitre, or 5.1 per cent, in the national capital to Rs 118,199.17 per kl from Rs 112,419.33. 

This fourth straight increase in prices of jet fuel, which makes up for 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost, has increased the burden on already financially strained airlines. The increase comes on back of the steepest-ever 14.1 per cent increase (Rs 13,911.07 per kl) effected on September 1, and a 8.5 per cent or Rs 7,728.38 per kl increase on August 1.

Notably, in July, ATF price had gone up by 1.65 per cent or Rs 1,476.79 per kl. In four increases, ATF prices have gone up by a record Rs 29,391.08 per kl.