Vistara’s flight cuts could affect air travel

Thursday, April 4, 2024

During a recent employee meeting, the CEO of Vistara Airlines, Vinod Kannan, disclosed plans to alter crew rosters and potentially reduce flight numbers in response to an unexpected pilot shortage that has caused significant disruptions. This situation, according to individuals familiar with the matter, has already led to the cancellation of over 125 flights since the beginning of April, a move that came after a wave of pilots called in sick towards March’s end.

The underlying reasons for the pilot discontent were partly attributed to a pay revision anticipation connected with Vistara’s upcoming merger with Tata-owned Air India, coupled with an increase in fatigue from a demanding schedule. Nevertheless, Kannan suggested that the crux of the issue stemmed from many pilots reaching their flight duty time limits rather than the sick leave instances per se.

With the airline, a joint venture between the Tata group and Singapore Airlines, operating upwards of 300 flights daily, Kannan’s strategy involves alleviating stress on pilots with a promise of “visible results” in scheduling adjustments from May onwards. While the CEO hinted at a possible reduction in Vistara’s flight network, specific details remain to be clarified.

This operational turbulence at Vistara has caught the attention of India’s civil aviation sector, prompting both the ministry and aviation regulators to closely monitor flight cancellations and delays, necessitating daily updates on the disruptions.

Such disruptions are not just an internal issue for Vistara but could potentially ripple across the airline tourism sector, affecting passenger travel plans, increasing the demand on other airlines, and possibly leading to heightened ticket prices due to reduced availability. This scenario places additional stress on the already volatile airline industry in India and could influence travel decisions, impacting the broader tourism and aviation sectors.

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