Flight Cancellations: Causes and Effects

Crisis Overview: Impact and Challenges

By Rajat Mishra --
Monday, 08 Apr, 2024

Pilot Resignations and Staff Leave: Root Causes

Vistara Airlines Updates: Vistara has devised a fresh strategy to tackle the continuing crisis since last week, potentially affecting all flight tickets...

The aviation company of the Tata Group, Vistara, formulated a new strategy last week to mitigate the current crisis. As per the new plan, the company is scaling back its flight operations for the entire month. Consequently, there is now a potential for air travel to become more costly.

The company provided the following information:

Due to pilot resignations and staff taking leave, Vistara was compelled to cancel numerous flights last week. Within just the first three days of the week, over 150 Vistara flights were canceled. Subsequently, the company decided to cancel approximately 10 percent of its flights for the entire month. This information was conveyed in a statement released by the company on Sunday.

The company currently operates around 350 flights daily. To manage operations effectively amid a pilot shortage, it plans to trim 20-30 flights from its daily operations. This reduction represents approximately 10 percent of its total daily flight count. Additionally, the company has specified that the decision to cancel flights will primarily impact domestic routes.

Aviation industry experts express concern that the cancellation of 10 percent of Vistara's flights for the entire month of April could adversely affect air travelers. This could potentially result in price hikes for other flights, particularly on routes where Vistara has a significant presence. For instance, Vistara operates 18 daily flights on the heavily trafficked Delhi-Mumbai route, only one flight less than IndiGo's 19 daily flights on the same route.

The regulator has issued the following notice:

Before this, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) compounded Vistara's crisis by issuing a notice regarding pilot training. The DGCA's notice concerned Zero Flight Time Training (ZFTT), which led to the suspension of training for many pilots. Furthermore, several pilots at Vistara are already dissatisfied with the company's new pay structure and other issues.

In summary, Vistara Airlines is facing a challenging situation with pilot resignations, staff leave, and regulatory issues impacting its operations. The company has been forced to cancel a significant number of flights, prompting a reduction in its flight operations for the entire month. This reduction, amounting to approximately 10 percent of its daily flights, could potentially lead to increased airfares, especially on routes where Vistara operates extensively. Additionally, regulatory scrutiny, particularly concerning pilot training, has further complicated the airline's situation. With discontent among pilots regarding the company's new pay structure, Vistara faces multiple challenges that need to be addressed promptly to ensure smoother operations and passenger satisfaction in the future.