Air India · Captain / Commandant de bord
B737 Captain (type rated or non type rated)
Air India Express is recruiting captains for its B737 fleet. The posting targets two profiles: pilots already type rated on the B737, and captains from other jet or turboprop aircraft looking to transition onto the B737.
- Employer
- Air India
- Position
- Captain / Commandant de bord
- Base
- Gurugram (poste flexible)
- Aircraft
- B737
- Pay (public sources)
- Captain: about INR 4.75 to 8.5 lakh per month; first officer: about INR 3.45 lakh per month (2023 scale, raised 8 to 15% in August 2026)
- Seen
- 8 October 2026
Key points
- Captain (PIC) role with Air India Express
- B737 fleet
- Two application routes: type rated B737 pilots, or non type rated transition captains
- Flexible place of posting
- Preference given to candidates available to join immediately
What the employer asks for
- Type rated route: valid B737 PIC endorsement and minimum 100 PIC hours on B737, maximum age 62
- Non type rated jet route: 3,000+ total flying hours, 1,000+ airline hours on jet aircraft, minimum 500 PIC hours on aircraft above 5,700 kg, maximum age 60
- Non type rated turboprop route: 3,000+ total flying hours, 1,500+ airline hours on turboprop aircraft, minimum 500 PIC hours on aircraft above 10,000 kg, maximum age 60
- Indian national or OCI card holder
- Valid ATPL with current IR, pilot proficiency check, FRTOL and COP/RTR
- Valid Class 1 medical certificate
- ICAO English language proficiency level 4 or above, endorsed on Indian ATPL
- Incident/accident-free record, breath analyser test and disclosure of any DGCA enforcement action
- Mandatory eGCA ID with all licences and documents validated
The selection process
- Psychometric assessment
- Personal interview
- Simulator flight proficiency test
- Pre-employment medical examination
Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.
Pay and conditions, from public sources
Figures published by the airline, pilot unions or the press, each one dated (last update: August 2026). For information only.
- 2023 scale: after a raise of about 20%, Air India set monthly pay at INR 3.45 lakh for a first officer, 4.75 lakh for a captain, 7.5 lakh for an internally upgraded captain ("commander") and 8.5 lakh for a senior captain (April 2023).
- Trainee pilots: INR 50,000 per month at first, then INR 2.35 lakh per month after line release, for up to one year (April 2023).
- Flying allowance: paid per hour, from INR 2,900 to 3,770 for a first officer and INR 6,500 to 8,450 for a commander depending on hours flown; plus a widebody allowance of INR 75,000 per month for commanders and INR 25,000 for other pilots (April 2023).
- Annual earnings: according to an Air India executive, every captain in the group would earn at least INR 1 crore (10 million rupees) a year at 70 flying hours, allowances included (April 2023).
- 2024 raise: from 1 April 2024, +INR 5,000 per month for first officers and captains, +INR 11,000 for commanders, and a new annual performance bonus of up to INR 1.8 lakh (May 2024).
- 2026 revision: an 8 to 15% raise, largest for commanders; at about 55 hours a month a senior commander goes from about INR 7.5 to 8.3 lakh and a first officer from just over 3 to about 3.3 lakh; guaranteed pay is still based on 40 hours (August 2026).
- Leave: the same revision cuts privilege leave from 30 to 24 days, with weekly days off not counted as leave; Air India Express pilots objected to the cut (August 2026).
- Air India Express: a Boeing 737 fleet allowance of up to INR 21 lakh for senior commanders and INR 10 lakh for senior first officers is paid in three instalments from October 2026 (August 2026).
Sources read (4)
The Air India selection, as candidates tell it
What candidates report on forums (Aeronet, Pilot Jobs Network) and what the employer publishes, summarised by ForAllPilots. It is not the official process: it changes from one campaign to the next, always check the posting.
Reliability of the reports : low
The stages
- Cadets and junior first officers: written test, psychometric assessment, group discussion, individual interview, simulator check, then medical.
- Experienced pilots: no written test, but psychometrics, interview, simulator, medical and background check.
- Simulator sometimes at the candidate's expense in some Indian campaigns; foreign captains recruited through agencies.
The aptitude tests
- Written and psychometric tests whose content candidates have not described in detail.
The technical part
- Few accounts; simulator check of flying proficiency.
Candidates' tips
- The information comes from official announcements more than from candidates: check each campaign.
Our exercises to prepare
Give yourself every chance
A captain selection focuses on leadership, decision-making and crew management: prepare real situations, what you decided and why.
Expect an in-depth technical interview and a simulator session: go over abnormal procedures and the performance of your type.
Some airlines give aptitude tests to captains too: a refresher on the arithmetic and attention exercises never hurts.