Didn't fulfil expectations; addressing gaps on war footing: Vistara CEO

Admitting that Vistara fell short of customers' expectations in the last few months, its Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan has said the airline is addressing some of the gaps on a war footing while many changes and enhancements are in the offing.

Kannan, in a letter to customers, acknowledged that the recent disruptions in services would have led to the alterations in their travel plans and the frustration over a long wait to reach out to the airline's call centre.

We have always wanted to make flying an experience that is not transactional, but a joyous and memorable 'new feeling.' However, I admit that we fell short on this commitment in the last few months and did not live up to your expectations, Kannan said.

I am aware that our website and mobile app couldn't offer targeted solutions to some of the problems you faced. And I also understand that your on-ground experience may not have been up to your expectations on some instances, he further said.

Assuring the customers that their grievances have not gone unnoticed, he said, safety of customers and the airline staff takes precedence over any other consideration.

However, the varying restrictions that we have had to navigate and the constant safety concerns due to these unusual times, brought us some unique challenges in these past months, forcing us to curtail many aspects of our services, temporarily.

The new year brought along a sharp decline in demand right after a brief but very optimistic period while Vistara resumed recruitment and ramp-up of resources on various fronts buoyed by optimism in late 2021, the requirements around training and occupancy meant that it was not able to scale up as desired.

This, coupled with a scale back in capacity necessitated by a precipitous decline in demand, implied that the volume of enquiries and requests increased manifold, he said.

Stating that many changes and enhancements were in the works, he said, I have taken stock of things as they stood, and I want to assure you that we are addressing some of the gaps on a war footing.

Additionally, the airline has also fast-tracked initiatives across its entire IT infrastructure to make the digital experience more convenient, he added.