Passengers of Vistara Airlines found themselves in a state of dismay as the carrier grappled with a flurry of flight cancellations for the second consecutive day. The crisis, which affected at least 38 flights departing from major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, left travelers stranded and their plans in disarray.
The turmoil comes in the wake of a chaotic preceding day, during which 70 Vistara flights were axed while an additional 180 faced delays, plunging the airline into a maelstrom of discontent and criticism.
At the heart of the issue lies an acute shortage of pilots exacerbated by simmering unrest within the airline cockpit over proposed revisions to pilot salaries. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has intervened, seeking explanations from Vistara’s management regarding the escalating flight disruptions.
In a statement, the airline acknowledged facing a “significant number” of disruptions, attributing them to various factors including crew unavailability.
Frustrated passengers, marooned at airports for prolonged periods, took to social media to vent their ire against the carrier, jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.
Former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai lambasted Vistara for its “terrible service,” citing a lack of announcements or clarity amidst the chaos.
Pre-merger woes mount: Cancellations & delays force Vistara to cut flights
@airvistara should improve communications about flight delays, cut flights, not trouble customers as being done now! https://t.co/sWgNoZbYIR
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) April 1, 2024
Accounts from passengers flooded social media, with one recounting how the pilot disembarked even after boarding was completed following significant delays on a Bengaluru-Mumbai flight. Another user described Bengaluru Airport’s Terminal 2 as resembling a railway platform due to the spate of delays and cancellations, with no airline staff available at counters and customer care lines citing technical issues.
Vistara flight delays
Reports indicate that the airline’s pilots are up in arms over a proposed restructuring of their salary framework, a contentious issue intertwined with the impending merger with Air India. In response, pilots staged a mass sick leave protest, challenging the airline’s attempts to implement the new pay structure.
Tensions further escalated when the airline issued an ultimatum to its pilots: either accept the revised terms or risk exclusion from the merger process and its associated benefits.
The ultimatum triggered widespread discontent among the pilots, resulting in a surge of sick leave requests and subsequent flight disruptions. the airline, in damage control mode, has promised operational adjustments and issued apologies in attempts to mollify aggrieved passengers.
As the standoff between Vistara’s management and its pilots persists, passengers brace for further uncertainty, hoping for a swift resolution to the ongoing crisis.
