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In a globalised aviation market, talent flows where opportunity, safety, and professional growth align. It is the product of decades of liberalisation, international cooperation, and the recognition that aviation, more than almost any other industry, relies on global standards and global professionals. This is why the recent suggestion by the CEO of Air India that overseas carriers should not “poach” Indian pilots, and that the Indian government should intervene to prevent this, deserves scrutiny. It comes on the heels of a similar suggestion from Indigo’s CEO, and Indian government’s submission of a ‘working paper’ to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) on this matter.
The argument, presented as a defence of national interest, is in fact a call for protectionism dressed in the tricolour. It misunderstands how competitive labour markets work, and it risks setting a precedent that could harm India’s aviation ecosystem rather than strengthen it.
I speak as someone who leads a multinational organisation, one that employs and collaborates with professionals across continents. In such an environment, talent mobility is not a threat; it is a source of vitality. The ability of skilled individuals to choose where they work, and to move across borders, is the engine that drives innovation, raises standards, and forces organisations to remain competitive. To ask a government to artificially restrict movement is not only misguided but fundamentally unfair to the professionals whose lives and careers would be constrained for the sake of one company’s convenience. It is even more harmful to Indian professionals while our economy’s mainstay is ‘services’. It is not easy as such to scout visa’s on an Indian passport, and such a move if reciprocated would mean disaster for Indian professionals.
Air India’s leadership has every right to be concerned about keeping pilots. The global shortage of cockpit crew, fuelled by rapid regional expansion in the Middle East and parts of Asia, has intensified competition for experienced aviators. But the solution is not to handcuff Indian pilots to domestic carriers. The solution is to make Air India an employer of choice.
Pilots leaving for better pay, better working conditions, or faster command upgrades is not “poaching”, it is market feedback. When professionals vote with their feet, it signals that something is misaligned, either in compensation, career path, work culture, or operational certainty. If Air India is losing talent to overseas carriers, the honest response is introspection and reform, not the lobbying of government ministries.
There is also a practical dimension. Aviation regulators around the world, including India’s DGCA, operate under international frameworks such as ICAO, which explicitly support the mobility of skilled aviation personnel. Any attempt to restrict the freedom of pilots to accept legitimate employment abroad would place India out of step with global norms. For a country that aspires to be a major aviation hub, such a move would be counterproductive.
Skilled aviation professionals invest years of training, bear significant financial risk, and shoulder enormous responsibility every time they step into a cockpit. Their autonomy and dignity must remain at the centre of any policy discussion.
There is a broader economic principle at play here. When industries are protected from competition, whether in talent, capital, or innovation, they stagnate. The Indian aviation sector has battled high costs, inconsistent policy, and volatile market conditions for decades. Rebuilding Air India into a world-class carrier is a national aspiration, but it cannot be achieved through insulation or favouritism. Global competitiveness demands that Indian airlines match global standards, not that global competitors be held at bay.
If restrictions on pilot mobility were enacted, what stops the next request? Should engineers be barred from joining foreign MROs? Should software professionals be prevented from working in Silicon Valley? Should maritime officers be forced to sail only under the Indian flag? Once you begin to limit choice in the name of nationalism, it is exceedingly difficult to draw a principled line.
India’s aviation dreams of larger fleets, expanding routes, modern airports, and a thriving aerospace ecosystem, depend on openness, not protectionism. They depend on creating an environment where the best talent wants to stay because conditions reward them, not because the government penalises leaving.
Air India’s leadership is navigating an immensely complex transformation, and their desire to retain talent is understandable. But talent cannot be kept by decree. It must be earned.
If India wants its aviation sector to claim its rightful place in the world, the answer lies in raising standards, not raising barriers.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.