Anushruti Singh
In recent months, Vistara Airlines has been under scrutiny due to a series of troubling incidents that have put its operations and reputation at risk. From allegations of negligence to widespread flight disruptions, the airline’s troubles seem to be mounting.
Picture this!
August 2023: A man alleged that Vistara airlines left his visually impaired mother unattended during their August 31 flight from Delhi to Kolkata. He expressed his dissatisfaction on Instagram.
October 2023: The decision by Vistara Airlines to deny a pilot’s request for leave sparked widespread criticism condemning the airline. Screenshots of management reply to the pilot outraged social media users, with many blaming the airline for ignoring its employees’ demands.
January 2024: Television star Surbhi Chandna accuses budget airline Vistara of “mental harassment” at Mumbai airport. She slams the airline on social media for misplacing her priority luggage and alleging unprofessional behavior by ground staff.
In another incident in January, Delhi HC summoned Vistara Airline in connection with a plea where couple sought approximately Rs 2.7 crore in damages, after their 10-year daughter suffered second-degree burns during a flight.
February 2024: Vistara flight from Dubai missed immigration procedures at Mumbai, takes passengers to domestic terminal instead of international arrivals.
Now again, Vistara Airlines has been in the news for the past few days. This time for operational challenges and flight delays, leaving huge customer base in perils.
This shows, popular airline, which is jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, is not coping up well behind the scenes.
What’s happening in Vistara
The airline faced a significant setback in March, when a sudden wave of pilot sick leave impacted flight operations pan India leading to cancellations and delay of flights.
The delay was also caused due to the mandatory maintenance requirements for some aircraft and other operational reasons, according to the airline’s statement. However, reportedly following the merger order pilots are dissatisfied with pay parity issues arising soon after the process of merger with Air India.
This resulted in cancellations of dozens of flights. This has been the continuous case since then.
According to the figures, in just the last week of March, with severe operational turbulence Vistara’s 100 filghts were delayed or cancelled. In a statement, company informed to temporarily reduce the number of flights they operate.
According to various reports, nearly 50 Vistara flights were cancelled and more than 160 were delayed on April 1. While PTI report has quoted sources saying that as many as 70 flights could be cancelled on April 2.
Pilots are unhappy
According to aviation sources, the situation has escalated after pilots refused to operate due to long duty hours and reduced flying hours.
In recent weeks, discontent has been simmering among pilots at Vistara, which is in the process of getting merged with Air India, following the new contracts wherein there are concerns that fixed pay component is getting reduced and there is more flying-linked incentive in the salary structure.
The new contracts that will bring parity between pilots of Vistara and Air India have been introduced as part of the ongoing merger process. According to the media reports, the new pay structure offers pilots 40 hours of fixed pay, while they were previously getting guaranteed 70 hours of salary. With this revision, there is a huge cut in the salaries.
The sources also said that now some commanders of the A320 fleet are reporting sick.
Vistara has a fleet of 70 planes comprising 63 aircraft from A320 family and 7 wide-body Boeing 787s. As per the summer schedule, which started from March 31, the airline is to operate little over 300 flights daily.
Now authorities have taken note
Consumers have taken to social media to express their frustration, with many demanding stricter regulation and accountability from the airline. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have been inundated with complaints, prompting them to intervene and monitor the situation closely.
Aviation watchdog DGCA has asked Vistara to submit a daily report on flight cancellations and delays, and the situation is also being monitored by the civil aviation ministry, amid non-availability of pilots causing flight disruptions for the airline.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said in view of various flight disruptions of Vistara, it has asked the airline to submit daily information and details on the flights that are being cancelled and delayed.
The officials of the DGCA are also monitoring the situation to ensure compliance with requirements for providing facilities to passengers in case of flight cancellations and delays.
This is to minimise the inconvenience to passengers, the regulator said.
On Tuesday, the civil aviation ministry said it is monitoring the situation of Vistara flight cancellations.
“However, flight operations are managed by Airlines themselves. Airlines have to comply with DGCA norms to ensure passenger facilitation in case of cancellation or delay of flights,” the ministry said in a post on X.
Vistara in trouble
According to a LocalCircles study, seven out of ten fliers have had one or more flights delayed or rescheduled in the last year for internal airline reasons, and nine out of ten fliers want the government to require airlines to pay a penalty to passengers in such circumstances.
The ongoing turmoil at Vistara serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of the aviation industry in the face of operational and regulatory challenges.
Now as Vistara grapples with these challenges, questions loom over its future. While the airline’s joint venture status and impending merger with Air India add complexity to the situation, it remains to be seen whether Vistara can weather the storm or faces a fate similar to other struggling airlines.
