Warning that an exodus of experienced pilots from the Air India Group could develop into a flight-safety risk, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has written to Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, flagging pilot attrition, fatigue, frequent fleet transitions and what it called a diminishing “experience gradient” in cockpits.In the letter, ALPA India president Capt Sam Thomas said experienced commanders and senior pilots were leaving Air India Express and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the group, arguing that pilots with years of operational experience were not simply numbers on a manpower sheet but “one of an airline’s most valuable safety assets”.The pilots’ body asked the Tata leadership to commission an independent review across Air India Group airlines, covering pilot attrition, remuneration and benefits, roster practices, fatigue data, grade-level fairness, cockpit experience levels, fleet-transition policies, training standards and the effectiveness of the group’s safety management systems.“The loss of experience must be arrested,” ALPA said, warning that attrition, cockpit experience levels and frequent transitions between Airbus and Boeing fleets needed closer scrutiny.The association linked its concerns to three incidents in 2026 — a Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing at Phuket on March 26, an Airbus A321 tailstrike during a go-around at Bengaluru on May 21 and an August Phuket-Delhi A320 in-flight control event.ALPA stressed that it was neither prejudging these incidents nor attributing them to pilot experience before formal findings. However, it said the “concentration of significant operational events” raised questions over whether the group’s safety management system, flight operations quality assurance programme, training systems and manpower policies were adequately identifying risks created by attrition, fleet transitions and diminishing command experience.In one of its strongest observations, ALPA said merely remaining within regulatory limits should not be considered sufficient for an airline aspiring to compete with the world’s best.“Minimum regulatory compliance should not be the benchmark,” it said.The association argued that international safety principles recognise that remaining within prescribed flight and duty-time limits does not, by itself, eliminate fatigue.It called for scientific fatigue-risk management that goes beyond scheduling pilots to the maximum permissible regulatory limits, besides stable rosters that allow pilots to plan family and personal commitments.ALPA also sought adequate rest, professional respect and reasonable career progression, warning that uncertainty over seniority, fleet movement and promotions could weaken retention.The association called for limits on operating near physiological limits and sought a “non-punitive safety and fatigue-reporting culture”, under which pilots could raise concerns without fear of career consequences.ALPA said pilot retention should not be viewed merely as a dispute over salaries, human resources or industrial relations.“Retention of experienced pilots must be recognised as part of an airline’s safety strategy,” it said.The association urged Air India and Air India Express to adopt a comprehensive retention framework, including competitive and periodically reviewed remuneration, predictable rosters, meaningful retirement benefits and transparent career progression.It also sought fleet-transition policies that preserve cockpit experience, particularly when pilots move between Airbus and Boeing aircraft.ALPA said global best practice increasingly treats pilot compensation, fatigue management, scheduling, leave, retirement benefits, duty travel and quality of life as interconnected elements of attracting and retaining experienced pilots.Addressing Noel Tata, Capt Thomas said the Tata name carried expectations beyond quarterly financial performance and argued that the transformation of Air India could not come at the expense of cockpit experience.“The fundamental question is simple: are we identifying and acting on the warning signs before they become accidents?” ALPA said.It said that Air India’s ultimate competitive advantage would be measured not merely by the number of aircraft acquired or destinations served, but by whether its safety standards and treatment of pilots could match those of leading global airlines.