Vistara Airlines which is grappling with a shortage of pilots and operational issues has cancelled five flights to New Delhi, three to Bengaluru, and two to Kolkata on April 2, as per an NDTV report.
Further, PTI has quoted sources saying that as many as 70 flights could be cancelled on April 2 (today).
On April 1, the airline cancelled more than 50 flights and delayed at least 160 more. The full-service carrier said it will cancel flights over the coming days as a shortage of pilots and other factors have disrupted its services over the past few days.
“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,” a Vistara spokesperson told Mint.
Pilots Unhappy?
The airline is currently undergoing a merger with Air India. As part of the transition, the two airlines were brought under a uniform pay structure in March. Under the new structure, Vistara pilots will get a fixed salary for 40 hours of flying instead of the previous 70 hours. They will also receive payment in lieu of extra flying hours and rewards based on their years of service with the airline.
“The pilots at Vistara have been disappointed with the new pay policy as this effectively brings down their salaries,” a person aware of the development said.
The merger of Air India and Vistara will be a complex process as the customer-facing elements will take time for a complete transition, Air India’s CEO said last month. “Behind-the-scenes planning is underway. The regulatory and legal (approvals) are in process. The customer-facing elements will take some time and we are not rushing it,” Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said at the Skift India summit on 20 March.
Operational Issues
Vistara Airlines has been facing several flight cancellations and delays in the last few days due to various operational reasons, an airline spokesperson said. Nearly 50 Vistara flights were cancelled on Monday and it will cancel more flights over the next few days owing to unavailability of pilots and other factors, the airline said.
It added, “We acknowledge and are deeply concerned about the inconvenience this has caused to our customers. Having said that, our teams are working towards minimizing the discomfort to the customer.”
“We confirm that we have had a number of flight cancellations and unavoidable delays in the last few days due to various operational reasons. Our teams are tirelessly working to stabilise the situation,” ANI quoted a Vistara spokesperson as saying.
Social Media Blasts Delays
The clarification by the Tata-owned company has come amid huge criticism of the airline on social media for long flight delays and cancellations.
Multiple social media users shared their unpleasant experiences of flight delays (as long as 5 hours) over the past few days. Many complained about incomplete refunds by the company after flight cancellations.
“Not surprised – Vistara has been on a path of steady deterioration. Shows you that no Indian brand – not even the Tatas can maintain quality. Today Vistara is run worse than any government nationalised airline. Heck Air Koryo was better service,” wrote Abhijit Iyer-Mitra.
Calling incomplete ticket refund after flight cancellations a “new way to cheat,” another social media user wrote, “My Vistara flight from CCU to Bangalore on 17th March was cancelled from the Airline’s end. Only the flight ticket charges were refunded and not the other charges (convenience and zero cancellation) . Why the charges were not refunded? New way to cheat right?”
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Published: 02 Apr 2024, 07:49 AM IST