India‘s aviation regulator, DGCA, has suspended Vistara’s training chief, Vikram Mohan Dayal, over lapses found in pilot conversion training programs. This comes amidst a string of flight cancellations by the airline due to pilot shortages.

The DGCA investigation revealed flaws in the training provided to over 10 pilots transitioning from narrow-body to wide-body aircraft. This prompted action against Vistara’s training head and a demand for daily reports on all cancellations and delays.

Vistara, a joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines, has been cancelling flights due to pilot unavailability. This coincides with a recent wave of resignations by senior first officers, reportedly unhappy with new contracts offering lower fixed salaries and a more incentive-based pay structure.

The airline, currently operating over 300 daily flights with around 800 pilots, is merging with Air India. The new contracts, aimed at integrating pilot pay structures, have caused discontent among Vistara pilots. The DGCA is closely monitoring the situation and demanding daily updates on flight disruptions.