Is Vistara in Trouble? Centre Steps in after Delays, Cancellations

This morning, Vistara airline faced pilot shortages, resulting in the cancellation of at least 38 flights departing from major cities. Among these cancellations, 15 flights were from Mumbai, 12 from Delhi, and 11 from Bengaluru.

Yesterday, over 50 Vistara flights were cancelled, with approximately 160 experiencing delays. Passengers, speaking to NDTV, expressed frustration over inadequate communication and lengthy waits at the airport, criticizing the airline for its treatment of passengers.

In a statement yesterday, Vistara acknowledged experiencing a "significant number" of flight cancellations and delays in recent days, attributing these issues to various factors, including crew unavailability.

"We acknowledge and are deeply concerned about the inconvenience this has caused to our customers. Having said that, our teams are working towards minimizing the discomfort to the customers," the statement read.

The airline has also announced its temporary decision to decrease the number of flights it offers "to ensure adequate connectivity across our network".

The statement also added, "We have also deployed larger aircraft like our B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select domestic routes to combine flights or accommodate more number of customers, wherever possible. Furthermore, we are offering alternate flight options or refunds to affected customers, as applicable. Once again, we understand that these disruptions have caused immense discomfort to our customers, and sincerely apologise to them for the same. We are working towards stabilizing the situation and will resume operating at our regular capacity very soon."

According to reports, Vistara pilots are reportedly calling in sick in protest of the newly revised salary structure before the airline merges with Air India. Pilots have received the updated pay details via email and have been given a short timeframe to sign. They have been cautioned that failure to sign will result in exclusion from the merger.

With their flights either cancelled or significantly delayed, passengers have turned to social media to voice their frustrations. The airline has consistently stated that these delays stem from operational challenges and assures the public that efforts are underway to address them.

A senior official informed news agency ANI that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested a comprehensive report from Vistara regarding the flight cancellations and significant delays.

Passengers are encouraged to verify their flight status with the airline before heading to the airport to prevent prolonged waits and inconvenience.