Crew shortages have once again impacted Air India flights to the US and Canada. The airline deploys its Boeing 777s to North America and has had to deal with crew shortages for these flights in the past as well. It is already said to be looking for qualified 777 pilots as it ramps up long-haul operations and will need a larger workforce, with more planes arriving in the coming months.

Flights affected

Air India’s flight operations to North America have been affected again due to crew shortages. The Press Trust of India (PTI) cites sources saying that some of the carrier’s flights to the US and Canada have been delayed recently.

The last few days have seen Air India cancel three flights to San Francisco and one to Vancouver. Many of the flights that have been able to operate to North America have faced delays of around 10-12 hours. PTI quotes the source as saying,

“There is an acute shortage of manpower, which is impacting airline's operations particularly to the US and Canada.”

Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock

Previous issues

This isn’t the first time Air India has had to deal with flight disruptions to the US and Canada. The lingering effects of the pandemic had caused backlogs and staffing challenges in the travel industry.

It was reported last year that long waiting time for the US visa had contributed to cabin crew constraints, forcing the airline to cancel or significantly delay flights.

The airline recently received two Boeing 777 aircraft previously belonging to Delta Air Lines. With more 777s to come, Air India will need qualified pilots to fly the widebodies. In November, it was reported that Air India was seeking around 100 pilots and was even willing to hire expats to do the job.

Photo: sockagphoto | Shutterstock

The airline took the help of a placement firm to find the cockpit crew for its fleet, reportedly offering a monthly salary of $11,500 (net of taxes). It also offered contractual employment to some of its pilots post-retirement last year as it faced a crunch amid plans to grow its fleet.

Larger workforce required

Air India’s privatization has catapulted it to a kind of expansion and change it hasn’t witnessed in a long time. Reports of the airline finalizing deals with Boeing and Airbus have been doing the rounds lately.

The consolidated order is expected to be one of the biggest in aviation history and will include plenty of widebody airplanes. Air India is expected to be busy looking for qualified crew to operate these planes as they arrive in the coming years. Hopefully, these are just teething issues for the carrier as it stretches its wings for further expansion.

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Source: Press Trust of India