Mumbai, Apr 1 (IANS): Another airline, SpiceJet, has increased pilots' pay by 10-15 per cent for first officers and 20 per cent for trainers.

"The last two weeks have shown promising numbers for passenger occupancy. Our passenger traffic seems to be on a slow and steady rise and if it continues, we should see it touching the pre-Covid levels very soon," an airline's communication to its pilots said.

"On the compensation and benefits front, you must have received your salary for this month. You will see an increase in all our pilots' salaries with the minimum increase being 10 per cent for Captains and more than 15 per cent for First Officers."

Vistara's Senior Vice President, Captain Hamish Maxwell, said in a recent communication to the airline's pilots: "We are now seeing sustained improvement in domestic passenger demand, which has allowed us to markedly increase capacity in recent months."

However, he cited that the current geopolitical tensions in Europe are a cause of significant concern and have already impacted operations.

He said that the price of oil is now at its highest since 2008 and the airline's Europe flights have been rerouted to avoid areas of potential conflict, resulting in increased flight times.

"Despite the significant challenges that the industry is still facing, the management team and the Board are mindful of and thankful for the contribution from the crew. I'm pleased to announce that the monthly bonus component for eligible pilots will be reinstated from April 1, subject to the average active hours for the preceding month being at least 70.

"Moving forward, we will continue to review the state of the aviation industry and the financial health of the company, and will make necessary adjustments to cost measures as and when appropriate," Maxwell said.

India is expected to soon reach pre-Covid passenger traffic levels with many airlines planning to expand international operations and enhance their fleet size.