India’s largest airline IndiGo has announced higher allowances for pilots, a move seen as an effort to rebuild morale after large-scale flight cancellations earlier this month disrupted travel across the country.
The airline has introduced new pilot allowances and increased some existing ones, according to an internal email sent to pilots by Ashim Mittra, senior vice-president for flight operations. The changes will come into effect from January 1.
As per the email, layover allowances for captains will be increased to ₹3,000 from ₹2,000, while first officers will receive ₹1,500, up from ₹1,000. Layover allowances are paid when pilots stay overnight away from their home base during duty.
The airline has also raised payments for “deadheading”, a practice where pilots travel as passengers to position themselves for a future flight assignment. Deadheading allowances for captains will rise to ₹4,000 from ₹3,000, while first officers will get an additional ₹500, taking their allowance to ₹2,000.
The move comes weeks after the airline cancelled around 4,500 flights, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across India. The disruptions were linked to poor roster planning and crew availability, triggering widespread criticism and closer scrutiny by regulators. IndiGo, which controls about 65 percent of India’s domestic aviation market, is also facing a competition probe following the cancellations.
To help stabilise operations, DGCA authorities temporarily relaxed certain rules on night duties for pilots earlier this month. However, the decision drew criticism from pilot unions and aviation safety experts, who raised concerns about fatigue and operational risks.
A committee appointed by the aviation regulator to examine the causes of the cancellations has already submitted its report, according to the civil aviation ministry.
Rating agency Moody’s has warned that IndiGo could suffer “significant financial damage” due to revenue losses, passenger refunds and possible penalties linked to the disruptions.
Mittra said the revised allowances were announced after senior IndiGo executives visited multiple bases to hold discussions with pilots. Indian airlines are also under pressure to retain trained pilots, as foreign carriers continue to attract Indian crew with higher pay and better work-life balance. This has prompted the Indian government to push for a global code of conduct on pilot hiring.
