IndiGo issue: In the midst of the crisis that has prevented flights in India for over a week, IndiGo has lifted its ban on recruiting pilots and is currently accepting applications for its A320 family. This comes after the government’s new pilot resting time regulations, which have now been removed, caused hundreds of IndiGo flight cancellations to continue for days.
As it removed the recruiting freeze that began months ago, IndiGo welcomed captains and senior first officers (type-rated) to apply in a notice posted on its website on Friday and Saturday.
IndiGo cancellations: The airline begins recruiting pilots
IndiGo said on Friday that it was hiring captains and senior first officers (type-rated) for its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.
According to IndiGo’s job posting, candidates for the senior first officer position must be Indian nationals or holders of OCI and be at least 55 years old.
According to the position, they must also have a current DGCA-issued ATPL with an A320 endorsement in addition to a current FRTO, RTR, and Class 1 Medical.
According to IndiGo, pilots must have at least 200 hours of flying experience and a record free of accidents and incidents at the time of application.
Hiring halt at IndiGo due to new government regulations
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), a group that represents pilots, has previously accused IndiGo of enforcing a hiring freeze despite being aware that the civil aviation ministry’s new FTDL regulations would call for a greater number of qualified candidates.
IndiGo canceled more than 1,000 flights in a single day on December 5, the most in the airline’s history. On the same day, the government suspended the FTDL regulations until February 10, 2026. Pilots were required to take 48 hours of rest each week under the new FTDL regulations, instead of the current 36 hours.
