New Delhi: With Vistara forced to reduce daily flights due to a shortage of pilots, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the Tata Group airline to submit daily reports on cancellations and delays.
It has also asked the airline to follow established rules regarding refunds and compensation to passengers.
“In view of the various flight disruptions of Vistara due to various reasons including crew unavailability, DGCA has asked the airline to submit daily information and details on the flights that are being cancelled and delayed,” the DGCA said in a statement.
This comes at a time when over 100 Vistara flights have reportedly been cancelled over the past week. According to a government source, the primary reason for the cancellations is a shortage of crew, with several pilots taking sick leave. Another industry source added that this is likely a form of protest by the pilots against the new pay structure implemented by the airline.
In a statement issued on Monday, a Vistara spokesperson said, “We have had a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in the past few days due to various reasons including crew unavailability. We acknowledge and are deeply concerned about the inconvenience this has caused to our customers.”
The airline added it would temporarily lessen the number of flights to ensure adequate connectivity across its network, and has also deployed larger aircraft like the B787-9 Dreamliner and A321neo on select domestic routes to combine flights or accommodate more customers.
“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 stabilising the situation and will resume operating our regular capacity very soon,” the spokesperson added.
The DGCA has also asked the airline to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on “facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights”. These include advance information to passengers, an option of refund, and providing compensation where applicable.
“Additionally, DGCA officials are monitoring the situation to ensure compliance of the above-mentioned CAR and minimise passenger inconvenience,” the statement added.
Why are pilots protesting?
As part of the new salary structure, Vistara pilots will receive a fixed salary for 40 hours of flying instead of the current 70 hours. They will also be compensated for extra flying hours and will earn an additional amount as a reward based on their years of service with the airline.
This is in line with the revised terms of employment and salary allowances introduced by Air India last year. The uniform salary structure is part of the overall consolidation of Tata Group aviation business. It is expected that the merger of Air India and Vistara will be finalised by the middle of 2025.
Another possible reason behind the pilots’ silent protest is the DGCA decision to defer the implementation of its rules relating to the duty periods and rest periods applicable to pilots. The rules were to be implemented by 1 July, but were deferred following appeals by the airlines.
The rules, announced in January, included an increase in weekly rest periods for flight crew from 36 hours to 48 hours and amendments to the length of “night duty” to 10 hours from 13 hours, among other changes to reduce the fatigue levels of pilots. The DGCA has not set a revised date for the implementation of these rules.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in which it said “the action of the DGCA (to defer the implementation of the rules) not only endangers pilot safety but also undermines the safety of passengers which the implementation of the revised CAR could prevent”.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: DGCA fines Air India Rs 1.10 cr for ‘safety violations’