Vistara restores salaries, flying allowance of pilots to pre-pandemic level

Vistara on Wednesday reinstated the salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels as its flight operations are recovering "at an unprecedented pace".

"Further to reinstating the monthly bonus for all pilots from the month of April 2022, subject to the average global active hours for the preceding month being at least 70, I am very pleased to announce that the base flying allowance (BFA) reduction is also reinstated," Capt Hamish Maxwell, Senior Vice President - Flight Operations, Vistara said in his e-mail to the airline's pilots.

Average global active hours indicate the aircraft utilisation rate for flight operations.

Maxwell said an amount equivalent to the reduction in BFA will be added to the monthly bonus and paid to eligible pilots from April 1.

"In March, I wrote to you about the recovery of the industry that we were observing and the hope that it would be sustained. It appears that this has been the case," he said.

Whilst we are cognisant of certain challenges that are still being faced by the industry in general, the situation is a lot more positive than it was at this time last year, he mentioned.

"As a result of this recovery our operations have increased at an unprecedented pace, which has only been possible because of the commitment and flexibility that each of you has shown," he stated.

"Throughout the incredibly challenging period we have just endured, you demonstrated seemingly boundless resilience and resolve, and for that the entire leadership team is extremely grateful," he said.