CRISIS IN THE CLOUDS
Business Today India|May 12, 2024
INDIAN AVIATION IS IN CRISIS. AIRLINES ARE GRAPPLING WITH FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS, CREW SHORTAGES, AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT POOR SERVICE, ARE BLEEDING DUE TO RISING COSTS WILL THE FASTEST-GROWING AVIATION MARKET RECOVER? 
ARNAB DUTTA
CRISIS IN THE CLOUDS

ON APRIL 1, T.V. Mohandas Pai was stuck at the Bengaluru airport. The former Infosys CFO and Chairman of Manipal Global Education and Aarin Capital Partners was scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad on a Vistara flight at 10:30 am, but the departure was pushed back to 12 pm. With no prior intimation from the airline, Pai took to social media platform X to vent his frustration: “Why did they not message the delay? Terrible service, no announcement, no clarity.” Vistara, in its reply, refuted Pai’s claims of not sending out communications, saying it had communicated the delay to the “registered contact details present on the PNR” and said that the flight “was delayed due to operational reasons”.

Pai wasn’t the only one. Several Vistara passengers travelling in early April found their flights being cancelled—many at the last minute—as the airline, which held a 9.8% share of domestic passenger traffic as of March, cancelled dozens of flights. According to estimates, Vistara cancelled 80 flights on April 1, while 190 were delayed. Together, these formed some 75% of the airline’s average daily flights.

Trouble had been brewing at Vistara—which has a fleet size of around 70 aircraft and flies to 50 destinations, domestic and international—since early March. There were repeated flight cancellations at the airline, a joint venture between the Tata group and Singapore Airlines, which the management blamed on unfavourable weather conditions, traffic congestion and other unforeseen factors. Industry watchers say the key reason came to the fore in end-March: a disagreement over new payment terms—in the run-up to its merger with sister airline Air India—between pilots and the management. As pilots went on unplanned leave, the airline had no option but to cancel scheduled flights.

Denne historien er fra May 12, 2024-utgaven av Business Today India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 12, 2024-utgaven av Business Today India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BUSINESS TODAY INDIASe alt
The EV Craze
Business Today India

The EV Craze

The country’s growing luxury car market is seeing a shift with environmentally-conscious consumers betting on electric vehicles as a sustainable travel option. Though just 6%, the share of EVs in the luxury segment is rising rapidly

time-read
5 mins  |
November 10, 2024
The Storage Boom
Business Today India

The Storage Boom

Data centres are being built at a frenetic pace in india as companies scramble to meet the ballooning demand from mobile phone users and firms adopting al. Can the country’s energy infrastructure keep up?

time-read
8 mins  |
November 10, 2024
India Beckons
Business Today India

India Beckons

Owing to rising incomes in India and overall wealth expansion, luxury brands are wooing the country like never before

time-read
4 mins  |
November 10, 2024
The Pearls of The Sea
Business Today India

The Pearls of The Sea

Caviar, that rare food, is considered the epitome of fine dining. Here is everything that you need to know about it

time-read
4 mins  |
November 10, 2024
66.Brand persona should define the core"
Business Today India

66.Brand persona should define the core"

I’d say this was a strategic pivot. We had an iconic brand, but had, over time, evolved into diversified lines of businesses that could no longer be represented within the confines of our ‘name’.

time-read
1 min  |
November 10, 2024
Unwind in Style
Business Today India

Unwind in Style

Here is acomprehensive list of top tech picks that help you unwind by blending perfection in performance with luxury

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
A Lifelong Affair with Inspiration
Business Today India

A Lifelong Affair with Inspiration

In my art journey, the diversity of my acquisitions mirrored the expanding horizons of my understanding of art

time-read
3 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Make it Bubbly
Business Today India

Make it Bubbly

Champagne is much more than just a symbol of celebration and success. Know about its nuances beyond the bubbles

time-read
4 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Palatial Splendour
Business Today India

Palatial Splendour

Buoyed by renewed demand, sales of the glitzy mansions of the ultra-rich are surging like never before. Real estate majors are looking to capitalise on this by launching luxury offerings in record numbers

time-read
7 mins  |
November 10, 2024
Of Beaches and Cream
Business Today India

Of Beaches and Cream

GianChand Single Malt Whisky

time-read
1 min  |
November 10, 2024