Vinod Kannan Speaks: Navigating Challenges in Vistara

New Delhi: In the midst of the challenging times confronting the Tata group airline Vistara due to a mass pilot strike, which caused the cancellation of almost 10% of its flights on Thursday, the airline disclosed it had “already stabilized our operations” yet acknowledged that “our planning could have been more prudent.”

In a communication to employees, Vistara’s CEO Vinod Kannan addressed the substantial operational upheaval from March 31 to April 2, stating, “The trepidation and exasperation experienced by our customers mirrored our own distress as we witnessed our cherished brand receive negative feedback from various quarters.”

He also highlighted instances of misinformation and offered assurance that “the worst is now behind us,” affirming that the airline’s operations have been stabilized with on-time performance (OTP) reaching 89% on April 9, 2024, ranking second highest among all Indian carriers.

Elaborating on the tumultuous period, Kannan mentioned “numerous contributing factors, including air traffic control delays, bird strikes, and maintenance work early last month—each having a ripple effect on an intricately managed network. Our pilot rosters were stretched thin, lacking the resilience needed to handle disruptions that we might otherwise have managed.”

“We acknowledge that our planning could have been improved, and we will conduct a comprehensive review of this learning experience,” he continued, expressing gratitude to pilots and staff for their “cooperation” and maintaining “the highest level of professionalism.”

Regarding customer relations, Kannan emphasized that “each passenger affected by cancellations and delays has been personally contacted during the disruption period. We have provided compensation in accordance with regulatory requirements and extended additional service recovery vouchers to those whose flights experienced significant delays.”