Business & Finance

IndiGo Adds 600 Pilots in First Half of Fiscal Year, Targets 1,000 by March 2026

By Saurabh Sinha

IndiGo has hired 600 pilots in the first six months of the current fiscal year and plans to add at least 400 more by the end of March 2026, according to industry sources. The airline’s pilot count rose from 5,700 on March 31, 2026, to 6,300 by the end of September. The flight duty time limitation (FDTL) dispensation will expire next March. CEO Willie Walsh said the airline will have “more than enough pilots to meet the schedules that we have for the airline” and is confident it will fully comply with FDTL regulations. Walsh, who led British Airways and the International Air Transport Association before joining IndiGo in August, will oversee the carrier’s international expansion amid global aviation challenges. IndiGo, once India’s only profitable airline, has posted losses in recent quarters. Walsh noted that aviation turbine fuel accounts for 32% of global airline operating costs and 40% in India, and that the premium on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) has risen, though ATF availability remains adequate in India. Airlines have not fully passed on cost increases and have reduced capacity during the lean July‑September travel period; geopolitical factors have also led to flight cuts, including on Saudi routes. IndiGo is considering fuel hedging for long‑haul expansion. The airline expects to receive its first Airbus A350s in the second quarter of 2028 and currently has four A321 XLRs, with additional deliveries planned next year. IndiGo has 60 A350s on firm order and will equip the first ten with 16 flat‑bed business seats, premium economy, and economy sections, with the possibility of increasing business seats in later deliveries. The closure of Pakistani airspace has affected western routes to and from Delhi, prompting IndiGo and Air India to add flights from Mumbai. Walsh highlighted Navi Mumbai airport as a business opportunity for future long‑haul operations, while noting that airport charges in India are “too high” and that lower charges and taxes would benefit the market.