Air India to give childcare assistance and maternity leave to female staffs

By: WE Staff | Friday, 31 March 2023

Air India would give female staff childcare assistance and 26 weeks of maternity leave. Also, the airline will let female pilots choose flights with a speedier turnaround time up until the child becomes one year old. According to internal correspondence, the choice would depend on demand and availability.

The updated policies are a part of the carrier's "MOMS - Returning Moms Programme" and will take effect on April 1. Making Our Moms Soar is what MOMS stands for.

According to the notification, female employees would be entitled to a 26-week maternity leave, which includes time off for commissioning and adoptive moms. The current maternity leave duration is 12 weeks. An adoptive mother is someone who officially adopts a kid, whereas a commissioning mother is someone who pays a surrogate mother to carry a child on her behalf.

A woman employee can take use of the program's co-pay daycare and nutrition counselling. The statement stated that counselling sessions will also "cover emotional well-being, preparation for childbirth, and preparations to return to work for pregnant moms."

More than 5,000 women work for Air India, which Tata Group acquired in January of last year. This number includes both flying and non-flying workers. This makes up almost 40% of the roughly 11,000 persons that make up the whole headcount.

In India, there are roughly 12.4% female pilots across all airlines. India still leads the world in the percentage of female pilots, despite the fact that it is far lower than in other industries.

In India, certain airlines are creating strategies to keep women in leadership positions. The biggest passenger airline in India, IndiGo, claimed to give female crew and pilots freedom to continue working safely, without flying tasks, while expecting. It provides the legally needed 26 weeks of paid maternity leave in addition to childcare facilities. Women pilots have the option of a flexible contract with two weeks of leave every month up until the age of five.

According to a spokeswoman, Vistara gives pregnant pilots and cabin crew the choice of temporary work on the ground or administrative positions until they are ready to fly. Moreover, it offers a six-month paid maternity leave and covers creche costs.