Turbulence in the Skies: Vistara flights delayed and cancelled amid pilot crisis

In the past two days, passengers travelling through Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, India, have faced extensive delays and cancellations, with about 20 Vistara flights disrupted.

According to reports, these disruptions, impacting flights both inbound and outbound, have resulted in several delays for travellers, lasting for six hours or more.

There are indications that these disruptions are linked to an ongoing strike by Vistara pilots.

A report by news agency TNN cited a frustrated passenger, sharing his ordeal on social media, who said that he was waiting since 6 PM on Monday for his flight, which finally departed at 8:25 AM the following day, after a major delay of over 14 hours.

Reports suggest that passengers were even made to deboard during the night, only to recheck-in later.

Other travellers complained about the lack of staff for communication and assistance during the crisis, leaving them stranded at the airport without adequate information.

Responding to the situation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Vistara to furnish daily reports detailing flight disruptions.

The airline has been instructed to ensure affected passengers receive necessary facilities such as advance information, refund options, and compensation.

A spokesperson for Vistara , attributed the disruptions to various factors including unavailability of flight crew.

To address the issue, Vistara has initiated measures such as temporarily reducing flight operations and deploying larger aircraft to optimise capacity and maintain connectivity across its network.

The flight disruptions come as Vistara faces other major challenges, with reports saying that about 15 senior first officers have resigned from the airline, leading to the pilot shortage.

These resignations follow discontent among pilots, particularly over proposed changes to pay structures and incentives.

Sources reveal that the pilots who resigned had undergone training to operate wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft, but were not assigned flying duties for these planes.

The airline, which operates over 300 flights daily, is currently navigating a challenging period marked by both crew shortages and internal discontent.