Indigo hired 600 pilots in FY26, 400 more to join by next year amid rising fuel costs and quarterly loss: Report
Budget airline IndiGo recorded the largest cockpit crew hiring by an Indian airline, reported The Times of India. It is estimated that the airline recruited about 600 pilots in the first phase of FY26. Reportedly, it is likely to add more pilots, at least 400 more pilots by the end of March 2027.
While IndiGo is yet to confirm these developments, its mass hiring drive comes after the airline faced a massive scheduling crisis last year.
IndiGo had 5,700 pilots as of March 31, 2026. The number of pilots reportedly climbed to 6,300 by September 2026.
IndiGo’s CEO Willie Walsh, who took charge in August, reportedly confirmed during a media interaction that the company will ensure “more than enough pilots to meet the schedules that we have for the airline. We're confident that of fully complying with the FDTL regulations.” Walsh, who was also a pilot working under British Airways and International Air Transport Association, joined IndiGo amid the unprecedented issues being faced by the aviation industry across the world.
“The geopolitical situation is challenging. Aviation turbine fuel accounts for 32% of airlines’ operating cost globally. In India, that figure is higher at 40%. The concerning thing is the crack spread (price difference between a barrel of crude oil and the petroleum products like ATF refined from it). Crude prices have not gone that high but the premium on ATF pricing has risen. Luckily availability of ATF is not an issue in India which exports jet fuel,” Walsh was quoted saying by Times of India.
InterGlobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo, plunged into losses in the last few quarters. The company recorded a 26% increase in revenue to ₹23,364 crore in the July-September quarter. It carried 2.75 crore passengers in the September quarter, marking a dip of about 4.7% from last year.
IndiGo recently announced another hike in fuel surcharge for domestic and international flights amid rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs. Willie Walsh said that the company has "no choice" but to raise fares. He added that the airline had ensured multiple measures in order to manage costs. However, it was unable to fully offset the sharp increase in fuel expenses.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that IndiGo is currently in talks to buy 100 Embraer regional jets.
While the deal is said to be in the initial stage with no guarantee, it was reported that the company is yet to finalise the aircraft model.
Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.
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