Vistara Faces Surge in Flight Cancellations Ahead of Air India Merger

Vistara, ahead of its merger with Air India (AI), faces escalating challenges as it grapples with a surge in cancellations and delays in recent days. The Tata-owned airline has been compelled to enact temporary adjustments to its schedules due to the significant disruptions, with nearly 50 flights canceled on Monday alone. Sources indicate that the tally of cancellations may further climb, potentially reaching up to 60 flights by Tuesday.

In a move to address the backlog of affected passengers, Vistara, a full-service carrier renowned for its operation of over 300 domestic and international flights, will utilize wide-body Dreamliners and Airbus A321s on domestic routes.

According to a report of TOI, There has been simmering discontent among the airline’s pilots over reported pay cuts when they become part of Air India, the Tatas’ aviation flagship, over the next few months. Many pilots have been reporting sick in recent months and crew unavailability, among other reasons, has led to poor punctuality and high cancellations.

The past 2-3 days have been notably challenging, with a deluge of complaints inundating social media platforms. On Monday evening, the airline acknowledged the extent of the disruptions. Interestingly, in Mumbai, delays of 30-40 minutes were experienced by flights of other airlines as well, with this delay attributed to VVIP movement associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city.

Vistara said it had decided to temporarily reduce the number of flights to ensure adequate connectivity across its network, and that alternative flight options or refunds were being offered to affected customers. We understand these disruptions have caused immense discomfort to our customers, and sincerely apologise to them.