No Names
When this company initially started, it promised a very rosy future. And we all believed it.
the Indian pilots realised pretty soon that things were not what they seemed and that the expats were the favoured lot. Maybe the expats had a better rapport with the American management.
But now even the expat honeymoon with this company is over. the company has been pretty nasty with some expats, however the expats still have it better than the Indian regarding leave and lot of other contractual terms.
most of the expats are looking for greener pastures. Don't get me wrong, I really get along well with the expats but I really want the expats to move just so that the company realises the importance of their Indian pilots. However, I also know that in these bad days of economic recession, expats need to take whatever comes there way and they will be a part of Indigo for some time.
What you need to ask is , If Indigo is such a great company why has no Indian Captain joined them in the last one years. Forget the oldies and the check pilots who came from IA & KFA.
This is a company which does not respect loyalty and the time you have been in the airline. There have been no pay increases since the beginning, if some experienced pilots come from some other company they will make him/her check pilot/instructor above the long timer. Now that the American management is out, the locals at every stage play with the dignity of the pilots (read a few of the juicy and nasty circulars which come out. First two line :"As per your pilot agreement, para -- sub para --", and then the last two lines "if you don't do this we will shove a boot up your you know which place".) To cut a long story short not a place where you paln to retire from.
So every Indian indigo pilot i know is waiting for the market to improve so that one can move to a better place. The management also knows this.
So you have an unqualified Chief Pilot running all over the world to recruit unsuspecting expats and get them to sign a good sounding contract.
One thing about Indigo contracts. They are totally one sided. You feel you have a good thing going and then slowly and surely you realise that there's more to it which is hidden between the lines. Don't believe me. The Airbus team which negotiated the contract with IndiGo have been all removed from Airbus because Airbus later on realised that they have been had. The indian pilot contract requires the pilot to give six month notice but the management needs to give one month notice, unlike the expat contract which is equal on both sides.
When you are desparate for a job you tend to sign very fast on the dotted line. My advice take a little time and read between the lines because they are going to killl you with your own signature.
A thing about the Indian courts. They tend to favour management over individuals, especially if a government department / government order is involved. The DGCA has been bought over by the Shylocks running the airlines and doesn't care.
In the end, i wish the markets improve and Airlines do better all over the world so that the expats here, get jobs back home and the management shows some respect to the locals. Till then we are all screwed.
And till then let us live like friends and not go mudslinging.
Cheers