Vistara Row: Pilot Associations Urge Tata Group Chairperson To Address Grievances

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association and the Indian Pilots' Guild wrote to Tata Group Chairperson N Chandrasekaran on Thursday, seeking resolutions for Vistara pilots' grievances.

Highlighting Vistara pilots' concerns, the associations said the points raised were reflective of broader challenges facing Tata Group airlines.

"It is crucial to recognize that the concerns expressed by the Vistara pilots are not isolated incidents but rather indicative of systemic issues that extend across various Tata Group aviation entities," according to the letter, a copy of which was seen by NDTV Profit.

The pilots' issues, like 70-hour fixed remuneration, approval of leaves and an unstable roster, are the ones that are echoed by pilots across different Tata Group airlines, it said. "There have been instances where HR has resorted to threatening pilots with potential disruptions to their future, accompanied by severe consequences."

The associations urged Tata Group's leadership to take proactive measures to address their grievances.

The development comes after several Vistara flights were delayed and cancelled over the last few days due to crew unavailability. This was because pilots sought sick leaves all at once due to a revised salary system the airline was trying to implement ahead of its merger with Air India.

This structure slashed pilots' confirmed pay to 40 hours of flytime from the current 70 hours. It also required them to show up to work for at least 15 days in order to be eligible for 40 hours of flytime pay.

NDTV Profit reported that after this chaos, Vistara's chief executive officer, top management and HR addressed the pilots on Wednesday. The management assured that all issues would be resolved.