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Pilot union protests India’s push to establish international poaching prevention rules
August 15th 2025
The Airline Pilot Association of India (ALPA India) has objected to the government’s planned creation of a global code of conduct for foreign airlines that plan to hire crew from India’s carriers. Read More » Reuters reported last week India had raised concerns with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that its fast-growing aviation market is impeded by rivals poaching its cockpit and cabin crew without adequate notice. In the working paper Reuters cited, India asked for the creation of a code of conduct on the movement of skilled aviation workers between ICAO’s member countries. ALPA India said the working paper misdiagnosed the reasons for the outflow of the country’s aviation talent. ALPA India attributed the drain to poor working conditions, a lack of job security, limited career opportunities and an absence of standardized pay structures at airlines. "Targeting outbound employment from India sets a dangerous precedent. It is inconsistent with ICAO’s principles of consensus, collaboration and international workforce mobility," ALPA India president, Sam Thomas, said in the letter. India mandates a minimum notice period of six months for pilots and a no-objection certificate from the employer airline for airline crew shift to a rival carrier. Pilot associations are challenging the rules in court.
