Amid a spate of flight cancellations by Indian carrier Vistara due to a pilot shortage following a revised pay structure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took action on Tuesday by instructing the airline to submit daily reports regarding flight cancellations and delays. This regulatory measure was prompted by a series of flight disruptions reported by the airline, which attributed these issues to various factors, including crew unavailability.The airline, jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines Ltd, issued an apology for the disruptions but refrained from providing specific figures regarding the extent of flight cancellations on Monday. However, an insider familiar with the situation disclosed that approximately 50 flights were cancelled that day.Under the Civil Aviation Requirements, airlines are obliged to provide facilities to passengers in scenarios like denied boarding, flight cancellations, and delays. These provisions include offering passengers advance information about flight status, providing options for refunds and compensation, depending on the circumstances.The ongoing disruptions stem from a protest by Vistara pilots against the revised compensation package introduced in anticipation of the airlines merger with Air India, which is owned by Tata Group. The altered contract aimed to align pilot compensations between Vistara and Air India as part of the merger process but faced backlash from Vistaras pilot community, leading to the current staff shortage.
