The government informed the Lok Sabha that India currently has 25,001 pilots under the age of 65 holding valid flying licences. However, no centralised data is maintained on how many commercial or airline transport pilots are unemployed or not actively flying.
According to the latest data, there are 10,051 Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) holders for planes and 210 for helicopters. The largest group consists of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holders, with 12,480 for planes and 777 for helicopters. Additionally, 1,483 pilots hold Private Pilot Licences (PPL).
The information was provided in response to a question from Sharmila Sarkar by Murlidhar Mohol, who shared category-wise details from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The minister clarified that there is no official record of CPL or ATPL holders who are unemployed or not in active service.
The data also includes year-wise figures for ATPLs issued since 2014. Between 2014 and 2025, a total of 6,775 ATPLs were granted. The highest number was 752 in 2019, followed by a drop to 398 in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Numbers recovered in the following years, with 720 ATPLs issued in 2022 and 646 in 2025.
This update comes as Indian airlines continue expanding their fleets and placing large aircraft orders, highlighting ongoing concerns about pilot availability and crew planning.
