Vistara Cancels 50 Flights Amid Pilot Protests Over Salary Framework
Desk Report, April 02, 2024: Approximately 50 flights of Vistara were cancelled and several others faced delays on Monday due to a section of pilots taking leave, leading to the airline’s decision to curtail its flight schedule.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that in early March, a number of pilots had reportedly taken sick leave in protest against the revised salary framework presented to them following Vistara’s integration with Air India.
On March 7, Vistara refuted media reports linking flight disruptions to pilot absenteeism, instead attributing the cancellations and delays to adverse weather conditions, air traffic congestion, and unexpected aircraft maintenance.
However, on March 15, Vistara issued an ultimatum to pilots who had not accepted the new salary structure, urging them to comply by evening. The airline warned that those failing to accept the revised terms risked forfeiting a one-time payout and indicated a lack of interest in their integration with Air India.
In a recent statement addressing the flight disruptions, Vistara said, “We have had a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in the past few days due to various reasons including crew unavailability. We have decided to temporarily reduce the number of flights we operate, to ensure adequate connectivity across our network. We have also deployed larger aircraft like our B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select domestic routes to combine flights or accommodate more customers, wherever possible.”
Under the new salary structure, Vistara pilots will receive a fixed salary for 40 hours of flying time, a reduction from the current 70 hours. Additionally, they will be compensated for extra flying hours and stand to earn an additional amount based on their years of service with the airline.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) granted its approval to the merger earlier this month. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had previously approved the merger between the two airlines in September 2023.
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