Vistara hit by delays, cancellations amid ongoing pilot crisis

New Delhi:

Sources told NDTV Profit that Vistara management may have announced measures to address the current crisis, but the solution is expected to take time. Two people familiar with the matter said the Air India co-pilot would be sent to Vistara to deputize. But this may not solve the problem immediately.

According to the regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, these first officers must undergo nearly 40 days of mandatory training. This includes 21 days of ground simulator training and line training.

Sources said that while Vistara and Air India are both part of the Tata Group, any exchange of pilots can only take place after formal training.

A source added that Air India operations are already facing a shortage of co-pilots. Most of Air India’s operations are conducted through one-way command, which means two pilots are required to handle cockpit operations due to a shortage of co-pilots.

Even if Vistara hires pilots to fly Airbus A320s for other airlines, their training would take at least two months, sources said.

Vistara said yesterday it would scale back operations to 25 to 30 flights a day to reduce pressure on pilots. The airline highlighted that on-time performance had improved over the past few days after a series of flight cancellations and delays. Pilots at Vistara, which is merging with Air India, are not happy after being offered a new contract with a reduced fixed salary component and more flying-related incentives in the pay structure.

“We are carefully reducing our operations by approximately 25-30 flights per day, or approximately 10% of our operating capacity,” a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement yesterday. “This will allow us to restore flight operating levels levels by the end of February 2024 and provide much-needed flexibility and cushion to the roster.”