From Jan 1, IndiGo to hike pilot allowances

The comtempt petitions referred to relaxations allegedly granted in October 2025 to multiple carriers, including Air India, InterGlobe Aviation that operates IndiGo and SpiceJet.

NEW DELHI: Jan 1 onwards, IndiGo will increase pilots’ domestic layover, deadhead, transit and night allowance, apart from introducing a new tail swap allowance.Tail swap means pilots hop over to another plane to operate another flight, which entails a series of extra checks and preparation, as opposed to operating another flight on the same aircraft they had flown in on. Captains and co-pilots will get Rs 1,500 and Rs 750 per tail swap, respectively.While many IndiGo pilots called this a “small correction”, they hoped it signals the start of undoing a series of fatigue-inducing measures that entail a punishing flight schedule under the old FDTL. “For a senior captain earning Rs 9.5 lakh, this will mean an extra Rs 15,000-20,000, which is less than 1% hike. Still, a start has been made,” said a pilot.