India’s six major domestic airlines together employ 13,989 pilots, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Among these airlines, Air India has the highest number of pilots. The full-service airline employs 6,350 pilots, while its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, employs 1,592 pilots. Together, they form the largest pilot workforce in the country.

After Air India, IndiGo, India’s biggest airline in terms of market share, has 5,085 cockpit crew members. Newer airline Akasa Air has 466 pilots, while SpiceJet, which has faced financial challenges in recent years, employs 385 pilots. The government-owned regional carrier, Alliance Air, has the smallest number, with 111 pilots currently working for it.

The minister explained that the number of pilots employed in the aviation sector depends on market conditions. If airlines expand their fleet and routes, they hire more pilots. When operations slow down, hiring becomes limited. He also highlighted why some Indian airlines hire foreign pilots.

According to him, airlines sometimes need pilots who are trained on a specific type of aircraft, especially when they introduce new planes or increase the number of flights. During such times, they hire foreign pilots temporarily to meet immediate operational needs.

Mohol also spoke about the growth of Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) in India. These institutes train future pilots, and many of them are upgrading their aircraft and facilities. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed FTOs to induct 61 new training aircraft up to November 2025. The DGCA has also approved two new FTOs in 2025. As of November 2025, India has 40 FTOs, operating across 62 locations.

He further said that improving flying-training infrastructure depends on the business plans of the FTOs and is not directly controlled by the civil aviation ministry. However, India follows global aviation standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). DGCA regularly checks the quality of training through inspections, audits, and special safety checks. These reviews are done to ensure that pilot training remains safe and effective.