New Delhi:

Vistara expects to resume normal flight operations by the weekend, company sources told NDTV on Wednesday night, hours after CEO Vinod Kannan and senior members of his management team clashed with the strike Pilots held virtual town hall meetings.

Company sources said pilots were promised course corrections to address concerns following Vistara’s merger with Air India. This will include improved growth potential once the merger is complete and a better roster of pilots, expected in May, sources said.

Pilots were told that opportunities to earn more revenue would exist as a result of the merger.

Nearly 100 percent of pilots have now accepted the new contract, the source said, adding that pilots did not express any protest during the virtual town hall.

Vistara sources also stressed that the crisis caused by the pilot shortage was almost over, saying that only 24 flights were canceled today, compared with 52 flights affected yesterday.

The pilot has not released a statement.

Read | Vistara CEO to meet with pilots after dozens of flight cancellations

The airline earlier said it was facing a “significant number” of flight cancellations and delays “due to a variety of reasons including crew absences”. It also said it had decided to temporarily reduce the number of flights it operates “to ensure adequate connectivity across our network”.

“We acknowledge and are deeply concerned about the inconvenience this is causing our customers. Having said that, our teams are working hard to minimize customer discomfort,” the airline said.

Vistara pilots have taken sick leave to protest against the revised pay structure ahead of the merger with Air India. Pilots received the revised pay structure in the mail and were asked to sign it within a short period of time. Pilots were also warned that those who did not sign would be excluded from the merger.

Read | Inside the Vistara crisis: Why pilots are calling in sick en masse

Pilots complained that their cost to company (CTC) was reduced under the new contract, which requires them to fly 40 hours instead of the previous 70 hours. However, sources at the airline said that under the new structure, pilots would be incentivized to fly more and, in fact, make more money than before.

The center is monitoring the situation and has requested daily reports from Vistara. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asked airlines to share the steps they are taking to deal with the inconvenience caused to passengers.

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