Vistara cuts flights to deal with pilot shortage, offers refunds to passengers

Vistara said on Monday it had been forced to cut some flights due to a shortage of pilots and cabin crew.

“Over the past few days, we have experienced a significant number of flight cancellations and delays due to various reasons including crew absences,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.

The spokesperson said Tata Group and Singapore Airlines’ Vistara are using larger aircraft, including wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliners, on some domestic routes “to accommodate as many passengers as possible”.

The airline, which is set to merge with Tata-owned Air India, faced a similar disruption last month.

Local media reported that an increasing number of pilots are calling in sick. Vistara responded that the disruption was not just due to pilot absences, but also had to deal with certain unforeseen maintenance needs.

The disruption to Vistara flights comes as India’s aviation regulator postponed a June 1 deadline for airlines to implement new rules on pilot rest and duty hours, a move that has drawn criticism from some pilots and aviation safety experts.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)