Time to get professional, Air India pilots! Bunking is going to cost you dearly

In a bid to crack a whip on pilots who report sick just two hours before flight time, Air India has come up with penalising provision.

Under the new provision, any pilot who will call in sick two hours before the flight will face deductions in total flying hours. This will not only reduce flight delays but will also teach some professionalism to pilots.

Not only this, pilots who will bunk won’t be eligible for flying allowance based on 72 hours if they do not fly for a minimum 45 hours a month.
"It is very difficult to find a replacement if a pilot reports sick four hours before the departure of a flight. A two hours deadline will surely discourage pilots from skipping work and will improve our fleet and pilot utilisation," a senior Air India official, who preferred anonymity, told ET.

Although Air India has improved slightly in performance, but less number of flights still haunts the national carrier.