Disheartened Go First pilots rush to Air India’s jobs drive

“It is extremely disheartening, the airline was functioning as if the whole lot was regular,” mentioned a pilot who joined Go First two years in the past and was ready in a protracted line at Tata’s Taj Lodge.

“We’ve got to leap ship with a purpose to maintain our flying licences present.” Reuters spoke with greater than a dozen pilots and cabin crew on the Air India programme, which was first introduced on Wednesday, and one other run by sister firm Vistara, all of whom declined to be named as they had been nonetheless employed by Go First, the nation’s third-largest airline.

Whereas Air India, Vistara and the nation’s greatest airline IndiGo have performed comparable hiring drives prior to now, the individuals Reuters spoke to mentioned turnout was bigger than regular. They attributed the numbers to the plight of Go First, previously often called Go Airways (India) Ltd, which has round 7,000 workers.

Air India mentioned on Twitter the hiring drive in Delhi and Mumbai could be prolonged by a day to Friday.

The airline, purchased again from the federal government final yr by salt-to-software Tata group, plans to rent greater than 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots this yr as a part of a significant revamp which additionally consists of orders for a report 470 jets.

Air India didn’t reply to a Reuters request for touch upon the hiring drive, whereas Go First and Vistara – a Tata group three way partnership with Singapore Airways – declined to remark.

Go First’s CEO mentioned earlier this week the airline is dedicated to its workers and is working tirelessly to get its operations again on observe.

A deliberate merger of Air India with Vistara and the launch of Akasa Air have elevated competitors for employees and planes because the trade recovers.

Vistara held walk-in interviews for cabin crew in Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday, and sought on-line purposes from pilots.

“Vistara has been a dream airline to work with, ever since I took one in all its flights a number of years in the past,” mentioned a 27-year-old member of Go First’s cabin crew.

“Plus, with the Tatas, our future could be safe.” (Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Modifying by Kirsten Donovan)