Indian Government Reports 13,989 Pilots Employed Across Six Major Domestic

December 8, 2025 at 06:15 PM•2 min read

Six major Indian domestic airlines collectively employ 13,989 pilots, as reported to Parliament in December 2025.

Key Points

1Six major Indian domestic airlines employed 13,989 pilots as of December 2025, with Air India (6,350) and IndiGo (5,085) accounting for the majority.
2Airlines hire foreign pilots to meet specific type-rated requirements driven by fleet expansions and urgent operational needs.
3India's DGCA facilitated 61 new training aircraft for FTOs by November 2025, expanding the network to 40 organizations across 62 bases.
4The Indian DGCA rigorously assesses FTO quality and aligns training standards with ICAO SARPs through ongoing surveillance and audits.

New Delhi, India – India's six primary domestic airlines collectively employ 13,989 pilots, according to data presented to Parliament by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on December 8, 2025. Tata Group's Air India leads the count with 6,350 pilots, followed by its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, with 1,592 cockpit crew members. IndiGo, the nation's largest carrier, reported 5,085 pilots. Newer entrant Akasa Air employs 466 pilots, while SpiceJet has 385, and government-run Alliance Air accounts for 111 pilots.

Minister Mohol clarified that pilot employment rates are primarily driven by market forces. He also addressed the practice of hiring foreign pilots, attributing it to the necessity for specific type-rated aviators to support ongoing fleet expansions and meet time-bound operational demands. Concurrently, Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across India are actively modernizing their fleets, with the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) facilitating the induction of 61 new training aircraft by FTOs through November 2025. The Indian DGCA also approved two new FTOs in 2025, bringing the total to 40 FTOs operating from 62 bases nationwide as of November 2025.

While the modernization of flying-training infrastructure remains market-dependent and based on FTOs' commercial considerations, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation maintains no direct intervention in this area. However, as an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member, the Indian DGCA ensures its training and regulatory frameworks align with ICAO's Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The Indian civil aviation regulator consistently evaluates the quality and adequacy of flying training through a robust regulatory framework, conducting continuous reviews of safety standards during surveillance activities, annual surveillance plans, and special safety audits or spot checks as required.