Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has strongly objected to a working paper submitted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which proposes a global code of conduct to regulate the hiring of Indian aviation professionals by foreign airlines, reports NDTV.
In a detailed letter addressed to the Civil Aviation Minister, ALPA India described the move as “unconstitutional, anti-liberal, and damaging to India’s global image”. The pilots’ body, affiliated with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), said the proposal, if implemented, would infringe upon fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.
“This proposal risks institutionalising a form of bonded labour, where Indian pilots may be locked into employment with a single airline under changing service conditions,” said Captain Sam Thomas, president of ALPA India.
The objection comes after the Ministry submitted a working paper titled ‘Practices Impacting Orderly Conduct of International Civil Aviation’ at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Canada, held from September 23 to October 2.
ALPA India argued that the Government’s position bypasses ongoing legal proceedings in the Delhi High Court, where the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 7, Series X, Part II – mandating a six-month notice period and No Objection Certificate (NOC) for pilots seeking to resign – remains under judicial review. The association called this international submission “highly contemptuous” of the court process.
The pilots’ body rejected the idea that foreign airlines were “poaching” Indian talent, instead blaming poor domestic working conditions for the exodus.
“Pilots are leaving because of exploitative contracts, limited career progression, and lack of standardised pay,” ALPA India wrote.
“Thousands of pilots have lost pay and gratuity when Indian airlines like Kingfisher, Jet Airways, and Go Airlines shut down. None of these provisions protected pilots’ interests,” the association noted.
The pilots’ association noted their major objections:
– Violation of fundamental rights to employment and movement
– Contradiction to ICAO’s principles of international workforce mobility
– Misdiagnosis of the root causes behind pilot migration
– Lack of consultation with pilot associations
– Creation of conditions resembling bonded labour, potentially compromising flight safety.
Instead of restrictive measures, ALPA urged the Government to withdraw the ICAO paper and hold consultations with stakeholders to find constructive solutions. The group recommended steps such as pay parity between Indian and expatriate pilots, reforms in working conditions, and tax incentives to retain professionals in India.
The association also submitted a series of earlier representations made to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on issues ranging from pilot fatigue to unfair penalties and training costs – most of which, it claimed, were dismissed or left pending.
The grievance has been officially registered on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is “under process”.