Tata SIA Airlines Limited, operating as Vistara, is an Indian airline based in Gurgaon. The airline has been facing turbulence in its operation for approximately a month now.
What is Vistara’s current situation?
According to a report by PTI, on Sunday, Vistara announced that it is scaling back its operations to 10% of its total capacity, which amounts to approximately 35 flights daily to normalise its operations. These cancellations are mostly in Vistara’s domestic network. Further, the Vistara officials have ensured that the affected passengers have been re-accommodated on other flights.
Since April 1, 150 flights have been cancelled, with pilots expressing discontent over the flight schedule and revised salary structure. The airline’s spokesperson stated, “We hope to stabilise our operations for the rest of April 2024 by this weekend.”
Why the cancellations?
These cancellations are a consequence of the crisis due to the non-availability of pilots and crew. Usually, in summer, the airline operates about 300 flights daily from March 31st. The airline ensures to stabilise its operations in April by lessening flights to the same level they were at in February 2024 to help them better manage their schedules, which will create a buffer in pilot schedules.
Why the pilot unrest?
Vistara pilots have raised concerns about work-life balance, fatigue and pay. Last week numerous pilots reported sick, leading to the cancellation of a substantial number of flights. Additionally, pilot groups have expressed apprehensions regarding the new contract, which entails pay adjustments.
The merger with Air India has chiefly caused this disruption. The wage structure has to be brought to par with Air India, which anticipates a full merger by mid-2025.
Furthermore, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had amended the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots of Indian carriers to ensure more humane rostering. However, aviation authorities have deferred the amendment to the work-hour regulations due to airline opposition, including Vistara. They reasoned that this would increase the pilot requirements and, hence, the wage bill, leading to the deferment.
Owing to the disrupted operations, the aviation regulator DGCA had asked the airline to submit a daily report on flight cancellations and delays.
Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said in a statement that “the airline hopes to stabilise operations before May and that more than 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new contract with the revised salary structure.”
About Vistara
Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore International Airlines, which commenced operations in 2015. It has a presence of nearly 10% in the domestic flight market.
It has 6,500 staff, including 1,000 pilots and 2,500 cabin crew and 70 planes, including some big ones like Boeing 787s.
