- By Vivek Raj
- Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:55 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Vistara, the Indian airline owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has announced temporary reductions in flight operations due to a shortage of pilots. The decision comes as many first officers have reportedly been calling in sick to protest against pay revisions, leading to flight cancellations and delays.
"We have had a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in the past few days due to various reasons including crew unavailability. We acknowledge and are deeply concerned about the inconvenience this has caused to our customers," a company spokesperson said in a statement as reported by news agency ANI.
According to PTI reports, up to 50 flights were canceled by Vistara on Monday, with expectations of more cancellations on Tuesday, potentially reaching up to 70 flights.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday sought a detailed report from Vistara regarding flight cancellations and major delays.
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A spokesperson for Vistara confirmed the significant number of flight disruptions in recent days, citing crew unavailability among various reasons. In response to the shortage, Vistara is deploying larger aircraft, including the wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner, on certain domestic routes to accommodate more passengers whenever possible.
"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 number of customers, wherever possible," the spokesperson further said.
The airline, which is set to merge with Tata-owned Air India, faced similar disruptions last month when an increasing number of pilots reported sick. However, Vistara clarified that the disruptions were not solely attributed to pilot absenteeism but also involved unforeseen maintenance needs.
Vistara's flight disruption comes at a time when India's aviation regulator has deferred a deadline for airlines to adopt new rules on rest and duty times for pilots, a decision criticised by some pilots and aviation safety experts.
