The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association and the Indian Pilots’ Guild have written to Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran, expressing their support for the demands of Vistara pilots while also highlighting concerns about pilot safety.
In the two-page letter shared on Thursday, the unions, which are some of the biggest pilot unions in India, said: “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.”
After several of its pilots refused to come to work en masse, Vistara, since March 31, has seen at least 155 flight cancellations, inconveniencing scores of customers and forcing the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to step in. The cancellations have affected both domestic and international flights, with many flights also experiencing delays in the domestic sector.
“The issues of 70 hours fixed remuneration, approval of leaves, adequate rest periods, unstable roster, stretching pilots to max flight duty, botched roster practices and an unsupportive work environment are consistently echoed by pilots across different Tata Group airlines,” the letter added.
Vistara is in the process of merging with Tata-owned Air India and therefore will have to have a uniform salary structure. This would translate to a reduction in pay for Vistara pilots which they are opposing. In addition, pilots have voiced concerns about alleged high-handed treatment by the airline’s HR department.
“Pilots are subjected to conditions and treatment reminiscent of bonded labourers. There have been instances where HR has resorted to threatening pilots with potential disruptions to their future, accompanied by severe consequences,” the letter said.
“Such threats can have serious consequences for the safety and efficiency of our operations. Pilots who feel threatened or intimidated may be reluctant to report safety concerns or speak up about issues that could impact flight operations,” the letter added.
On Wednesday, Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan through a virtual address to the pilots, acknowledged grievances on roster management and promised normalization of flight schedule by the end of this week. He added that Vistara has to resort to scaling back operations to ensure normalcy.
Vistara typically has 355 flights every day and has an estimated pool of 1000 pilots who fly the Airbus A320, Airbus A321 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline has an operational fleet of 69 aircraft.
“We urge the Tata Group leadership to engage in constructive dialogue with the pilot community, listen attentively to their feedback and take proactive measures to address their legitimate grievances,” the unions added.