Consultations on Air India pay structure

NEW DELHI: Inter-ministerial consultations are on over a draft note on restructuring the pay structure of Air India’s pilots and cabin crew which is to be tabled before the Union Cabinet, official sources said on Friday. On completion of these consultations, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) would take up for consideration the proposal which is likely to save over Rs 320 crore annually for the ailing national carrier, they said.

The draft was based on the recommendations of Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari Committee, which had gone into issues relating to pay-scales and career progression to bring about integration and parity among the employees of the two erstwhile state-run airlines — Air India and Indian Airlines.

While the pay scales and allowances of the employees have been fixed in accordance with the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines, those for pilots, engineers, cabin crew and technicians would be determined on the basis of the industry norms. Since these issues fall beyond DPE guidelines, the approval of the Union Cabinet is required, the sources said.