The rapidly expanding airline from India, Vistara, is having serious flight interruptions as a result of pilot unhappiness with new pay scales. More than 100 flights have been cancelled in the last two days, which has caused passengers’ inconvenience and prompted the Indian government to take action.
The joint venture Vistara, which is owned by Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, blames the disruptions on “crew unavailability.” Reports, however, indicate that this is related to pilot discontent about a previously disclosed pay structure modification. The revised agreements, which go into effect before Vistara and Air India merge, supposedly lower pilots’ cost-to-company (CTC) and mandate fewer flight hours (40 as opposed to 70). Although the management argues that the new structure rewards pilots according to flight hours, financial ramifications are nevertheless a source of worry.
Vinod Kannan, the CEO of Vistara, is meeting with pilots today to discuss the problem. In an effort to identify a solution, representatives from human resources and upper management are also anticipated to take part in this virtual conference.
The Indian government is keeping a careful eye on the situation. Vistara has been pushed by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to address passenger annoyance and offer specifics on mitigating steps. In addition, the airline has been asked to provide daily reports on flight interruptions to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Meanwhile, Vistara is attempting to reduce passenger misery by attempting a prompt return of regular operations, providing alternate flights or refunds, and deploying larger planes on specific routes. Still, it seems that a quick settlement with pilots is necessary to get things back to normal and maintain passenger trust.
