Editorial: Air pockets

CHENNAI: The full-service carrier Vistara continued with its spate of flight cancellations this week as the Tata Group worked to address pilot issues, while fares spiked in some routes. Vistara, which has around 800 pilots, and was set to operate more than 300 flights daily in the ongoing summer schedule, has opted to temporarily scale back operations, a move that has led to thousands of passengers being stranded. The cancellations have come at a time when there are capacity issues in the domestic aviation sector, especially after Go First ceased operating last year, amid rising air traffic.

In the aftermath of Vistara dropping more than 100 flights in two days amid the non-availability of pilots, aviation watchdog DGCA asked the operator to submit a daily report on cancellations and delays. Vistara saw at least 15 senior first officers resigning recently. The carrier’s passenger load factor stood at 85.4% on April 1, while its On Time Performance (OTP) dropped to 51.4 per cent, the lowest among scheduled airlines. The disruption has to do with the upcoming merger of Vistara with Air India, to be completed in 2025.

Discontentment has been simmering among pilots privy to the new contracts that raised concerns on reduction of fixed-pay components and a greater quantum of flying-linked incentives in the salary structure. Per the new contract, pilots are eligible for guaranteed pay for 40 hours, which is a steep dip from the 70 hours in their earlier contracts with the airlines. This would imply a significant cut in take-home salaries. The new contracts were aimed at bringing parity between pilots of Vistara and Air India.

There were also grievances pertaining to the rostering of pilots, a fallout of the company’s sick leave policy, as per insiders. The company had mandated pilots to exhaust their sick leaves by March 31, which entailed them applying for mass leaves, leading to a domino effect of on-duty pilots working over time. Two pilot groups emphasised that the issues raised by Vistara pilots are not isolated but rather indicative of systemic anomalies across the airline industry.

With as many as 1,620 aircraft on the order books of Indian airlines, there is a huge demand for pilots. However, their working conditions leave a lot to be desired. Exhibit A: Pilot fatigue. The DGCA seems to have offered airlines a very long leash vis-a-vis implementing the revised regulations as per the Flight Duty Time Limitation. These rules dictate the maximum duty hours and minimum rest periods to be maintained while rostering pilots. The revised norms include a 12 hour increase in pilots’ weekly rest period, extending night duty spans, limiting night landings to 2 as against the earlier 6, and requiring operators to submit quarterly fatigue reports.

However, these reforms can’t turn into a reality unless hiring takes off at top velocity. This brings us to the pain point of training, and the pilots’ graduation process — from narrow body to wide body aircraft. The training fee deducted from the salaries of pilots has also been a thorn on the side, notwithstanding the fact that many candidates have already undergone training at their own personal expense. The pilots have also raised concerns regarding the notice period for quitting the job, which varies between 6-12 months. Operators must wake up and smell the coffee, or they risk endangering their passengers’ and crew’s lives on account of safety, and in turn, their own longevity.