Pilots have called in sick to protest the terms of their new contract that will come into effect following the carrier’s upcoming merger with Air India.
Describing their situation akin to bonded labour , two Air India pilot unions extended their support to Vistara pilots on Thursday, who have raised grievances regarding the duty roster and the revised salary structure.
Amid the slew of flight cancellations and delays, Vistara chief executive officer Vinod Kannan acknowledged on Wednesday that pilot utilisation in the airline was high, and announced plans to scale back its flight schedule and overhaul the rostering system to provide pilots with more rest time.
The partial restoration of salaries will be implemented from April 1, 2022, onwards. Air India added that the restoration of salaries will happen in a phased manner.