Government-owned AI has 60 Airbus A320 aircraft in various configurations and deploys these on the domestic network. A shortage of pilots and cabin crew is one reason for flight delays, the carrier's on-time performance being the lowest among its peers.

Beside a shortage of pilots for the A320, an aviation ministry official told the Business Standard, the carrier also needs around 800 more of crew members across its fleet. "We are hiring in large numbers on contract. By July, we expect the crew training to be completed and they will then join," he said.

In February, the airline's on-time performance has fallen to about 65 per cent and the ministry is monitoring AI's performance on a daily basis, the official added.

AI plans to hire 197 pilots on a five-year contract, including commanders and senior trainee pilots with experience on Airbus A320 planes.

The move to hire commanders is causing unease among the airline's pilots. “Command training of pilots has virtually come to a halt. There are several first officers who have flown over 5,000 hours and are wondering why they are not being trained for the commander rank. Also, while commanders from Airbus A320 were moved to Boeing 787, no recruitment was done in those posts,” a senior captain remarked.

AI saw the exit of 50 pilots in 2014, with captains quitting to join Gulf carriers and private domestic airlines.