Vistara is facing huge turbulence at this hour due to discontent among its pilots. Most of the pilots made sick calls after the new pay structure was announced. Vistara is renowned for its service excellence, but is grappling with substantial flight disruptions. This ruckus has been caused due to cancellation of over 100 flights and a slew of delays within the past forty-eight hours.
Vistara Flight Cancellation: What Actually Happened?
The situation reached a crescendo on April 1st, as nearly 80 Vistara flights—out of the scheduled 300—were grounded. Over 190 flights were delayed from the scheduled 300 flights. This trend persisted into Tuesday, which amplified the strain across Vistara’s flight operations.
As per Vistara, sudden crew unavailability has caused this setback in its flight operations. To control the situation at the moment, the airline has announced a temporary reduction in flights and the utilization of larger aircraft on selected routes.
Why Are The Pilots Protesting?
Vistara’s pilots are unhappy with the new pay structure which was announced in February 2024. As per the new pay structure, the pilots would be eligible for guaranteed pay for 40 hours of flights. This is notably lower than the previous 70 hour flight pay guarantee. This revision would lead to a huge cut in the pilots’ total take-home salary.
Vistara introduced the new pay structure as part of pre-merger harmonization efforts with Air India, a Tata group subsidiary. But surely, this hasn’t gone well with the Vistata staff.
Beyond the remuneration concerns, pilots also have discontent regarding career progression and seniority post-merger. This dissatisfaction is also coupled with grievances over erratic rostering practices that affect their work-life balance.
What Does The Ministry of Civil Aviation Say?
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has urged Vistara to submit a detailed report to explain the ongoing crisis and the remedial measures implemented. Also, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated daily reports from Vistara regarding flight cancellations and delays and has asked the airline to adhere to passenger welfare protocols.
Final Word
In essence, the current situation underscores the urgency for communication from both sides. Only after a clarifying and compatible conversion, an amicable resolution to fix the ongoing disruptions can be reached upon.
Hopefully problem will solve soon
Yes, it will be solved definitely.