GURUGRAM- Vistara (UK) has directed pilots who have not yet accepted the new salary arrangement to comply by Friday, cautioning that failure to acknowledge the offer will result in forfeiting a one-time payout and indicate a lack of interest in joining Air India (AI) once the merger is finalized.
Earlier this month, some pilots reportedly took sick leave to protest against the new salary structure proposed to them as part of Vistara’s merger with Air India (AI).
Vistara Pilots Salary
On March 7, Vistara refuted media reports, stating that the flight cancellations and delays that followed were due to adverse weather conditions, air traffic congestion, and unexpected aircraft maintenance issues and could not be solely attributed to pilot absenteeism.
Sources revealed that Vistara informed its pilots on Friday that failure to sign the new contract by the evening would result in the forfeiture of the one-time payment.
If they choose not to accept the offer, it will be construed as a lack of interest in joining Air India post-merger approval and implementation. Consequently, they will not be considered for the transition to Air India, as per insider information.
Furthermore, according to sources, these pilots stand to lose their position on the upgrade sequence list if they do not sign the contract by the evening.
The term “upgrade sequence list” typically refers to a roster specifying the order in which pilots are slated to advance to a higher rank or role within the airline. This advancement may involve transitioning from a first officer to a captain or upgrading to a higher-class aircraft.
Under the new salary framework, Vistara pilots will receive a fixed salary for 40 hours of flight time instead of the current 70 hours. Additionally, they will be compensated for any extra flying hours and will receive an additional reward based on their tenure with the airline.
CCCS Approval
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) granted conditional approval on Tuesday to the proposed merger between Air India (AI) and Vistara (UK), a joint venture between Tata (with a 51% stake) and Singapore Airlines (holding a 49% stake).
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had previously approved the merger in September, and the CCCS’s approval was one of the final competition-related clearances needed for the merger.
The CCCS had identified certain competition concerns related to the merger, particularly the combined majority market share held by Singapore Airlines (SQ), Air India, and Vistara on four direct flight routes between Singapore and India (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Tiruchirapalli).
In response to these concerns, the airlines have made commitments related to capacity, and the approval is contingent upon fulfilling these commitments.
Despite the presence of several competing airlines offering air passenger transport services on these routes, the involved parties have maintained significant market share in recent years.
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