Indian aviation company SpiceJet has announced a revised salary structure for its captains ahead of Diwali.

The announcement comes at a time when many companies are freezing their hiring process as well as laying off employees in thousands. Fortunately, this hasn’t affected the aviation industry in 2022. The Indian aviation scenario is boosted by the recent acquisitions of Air India and Jet Airways by the Tatas and Jalan Kalrock consortiums respectively.

As per SpiceJet’s announcement, the pilots’ monthly remuneration will be increased by around 55% (Rs700,000) for a total of 80 hours of flying.

“Captains’ salaries revised to INR 7 lakh per month for 80 hours of flying. SpiceJet has been revising pilot salaries on a monthly basis; salary for October 2022 was hiked by 22 per cent,” state the company announcement.

The fresh hike will be applicable from November 1st, 2022. With the latest pay upgrade, the salary of captains at SpiceJet will be higher than their pre-Covid salary. Salaries of Trainers and Senior First Officers have also been increased "commensurately".

The news of the hike will bode well with the pilots, many of whom (80 pilots)  were sent on leave for three months without pay.

The airline company said in an earlier statement said that “the move was taken as a temporary measure to harmonise cost, in line with the airline’s policy of not firing any employee, even during the COVID- Pandemic”.