SpiceJet’s wage hike: Why pilots are apprehensive about Rs 7 lakh announcement

Days after SpiceJet introduced a wage hike for its pilots, a piece of captains and first officers of the airline has expressed apprehension concerning the implementation of the revised remuneration citing phrases and situations. In a communication to pilots on October 19, SpiceJet mentioned efficient November 1, 2022, its captains’ salaries will enhance to Rs 7 lakh for 80 hours of month-to-month flying and Rs 6.13 lakh for 70 hours from the present Rs 4.5 lakh stage which was made efficient from October 1, 2022. 

Accordingly, salaries of trainers and senior first officers have additionally been elevated commensurately, the Gurugram-headquartered airline mentioned. The trainers comprise Designated Examiner (DE), Kind Scores Teacher (TRI) and Line Coaching Captain (LTC). Nevertheless, a piece of pilots alleged that the airline has introduced a hike of their remunerations whereas they’re but to get salaries at par with pre-COVID ranges, a declare denied by SpiceJet. On a mean, a captain is at the moment getting round Rs 2.50 lakh a month whereas a primary officer takes dwelling about Rs 1 lakh each month after fundamental deductions, a number of pilots mentioned requesting anonymity. 

“So mainly, we’re nonetheless getting solely half of our precise salaries and I have no idea how this new wage construction announcement goes to be applied,” a Spicejet pilot advised PTI. SpiceJet insiders mentioned the corporate had just lately pressured dozens of pilots into choosing depart with out pay (LWP) because the airline is working at 50 per cent energy because of DGCA’s order publish a sequence of flight security incidents. Whereas official figures couldn’t be confirmed, it was estimated that in October 2022, SpiceJet had an operational fleet of about 50 plane, together with Bombardier Q400 and Boeing planes, with round 750 pilots. 

Over a 100 pilot, a lot of them Boeing captains, give up SpiceJet in latest months amid curtailed and irregular pays, moreover future uncertainties, to affix the newly-launched Akasa Air and a few Gulf-based carriers, they mentioned. The recent wage hike announcement appears targeted on these mulling to give up SpiceJet and people on LWP getting job affords from different airways, with many already in search of higher alternatives because the aviation market as soon as once more has opened up for recruitments, they claimed. 

“This new announcement appears to be the proverbial carrot on the top of the stick. I doubt if any pilot will even get this wage,” one other pilot, at the moment on depart with out pay, advised PTI. The pilots additionally alleged that clocking 80 hours of month-to-month flying –- a requisite to claiming the Rs 7 lakh wage — could possibly be prevented by the corporate via adjusting their scheduled duties. “All these situations should be saved in thoughts earlier than taking the brand new announcement significantly. We can not imagine this till full salaries are paid as introduced,” a serving SpiceJet captain mentioned. 

When contacted, SpiceJet on its half mentioned the claims of a piece of pilots are “fully mistaken”. In August, SpiceJet captains acquired a minimal gross wage of Rs 3.7 lakh. In September their wage was elevated to a minimal of Rs 4 lakh, and in October it was elevated additional to Rs 4.5 lakh, it mentioned. 

“The take-home internet wage is after deductions like tax, provident fund and many others. SpiceJet has persistently and progressively, with intimation to the pilots, elevated their salaries month-on-month,” a spokesperson for SpiceJet advised PTI. “In November, their salaries shall be greater than pre-COVID ranges with captains getting Rs 7 lakh. The corresponding pre-COVID stage was Rs 6.45 lakh,” the spokesperson added. One of many pilots countered the employer’s declare, arguing {that a} captain would have gotten the Rs 6.45 lakh wage however it could have been towards finishing 70 hours of flying and never 80 hours, as introduced on Wednesday within the revised construction.