'Crew unavailability': Vistara cancels 50 flights, several others delayed

The airline has deployed larger aircraft like the B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select routes to merge flights or accommodate more passengers

Approximately 50 flights of Vistara were cancelled and several others were delayed on Monday after a section of pilots went on leave, forcing the airline to curtail its schedule, sources privy to the development said. 

In early March, several pilots reportedly took sick leave in protest of the revised salary framework proposed to them following Vistara’s integration with Air India. On March 7, Vistara refuted media reports, attributing flight cancellations and delays to adverse weather, air traffic congestion, and unforeseen aircraft maintenance, denying sole attribution to pilot absenteeism. 

On March 15, Vistara instructed pilots who hadn’t accepted the new salary structure to comply by evening, warning of forfeiting a one-time payout and indicating disinterest in joining Air India.

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On Monday, the airline released a statement saying, “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. We have also deployed larger aircraft like our B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select domestic routes to combine flights or accommodate more customers, wherever possible”. 

As part of the new salary structure, Vistara pilots will receive a fixed salary for 40 hours of flying time instead of the current 70 hours. Additionally, they will be compensated for extra flying hours and will earn an additional amount as a reward based on their years of service with the airline.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) gave its approval to the merger earlier this month. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the merger between the airlines in September 2023.