Flight cancellations, pilot shortages: An uphill battle for Indian Airlines amidst passenger surge, can they win?
Industry experts believe that Vistara is not the only airline grappling with pilot shortage and flight cancellations. (Pixabay)
The Indian aviation sector in the past few years has experienced significant growth, with an increasing number of passengers opting for air travel. According to the credit rating agency Icra, domestic air passenger traffic is estimated to have grown annually by 13 per cent, reaching approximately 15.4 crore in the fiscal year 2023-24. However, this surge in demand has not been met with a proportional increase in the availability of pilots and aircrafts. Pilot shortages and frequent flight cancellations have remained a significant challenge for Indian airlines, aggravating woes for both passengers and the aviation industry as a whole.
Airlines across the country, including major players like IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, have struggled to maintain their flight schedules. But what could be the reason behind this? Is it due to a shortage of qualified pilots and cabin crew, or are there more pressing concerns? Let’s find out.
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Vistara’s turbulent flight
Trouble had been brewing at Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata group and Singapore Airlines, since early March. The airline, which has a fleet size of around 70 aircraft and flies to 50 destinations, both domestic and international, experienced repeated flight cancellations. Management attributed these cancellations to unfavorable weather conditions, traffic congestion, and other unforeseen factors.
However, the main issue surfaced at the end of March: a disagreement over new payment terms, linked to its merger with sister airline Air India, between pilots and management. As pilots took unplanned leave, the airline had no choice but to cancel scheduled flights. Financial Express approached Vistara, however, the airline declined to provide a comment on their flight cancellations and pilot shortage issues.
Industry experts believe that Vistara is not the only airline grappling with pilot shortage and flight cancellations. However, several domestic airlines have time and again emphasised that they have enough trained crew members.
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No pilot shortage in Air India
When asked about the ongoing issue of pilot shortage in the Indian aviation sector, Air India officials said that there is no and will be no issue of pilot shortage within the airlines. The officials also added that earlier this year, in January, the Tata-owned airline had set up South Asia’s largest aviation training academy which aims to not only benefit Air India itself, but also is helping strengthen the entire aviation ecosystem. Notably, the Academy features simulators of the Airbus A320 Family, A350, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Boeing 737 family.
Akasa Air has ‘plenty of pilots’
India’s youngest airline Aksas Air has time and again emphasised that the airline has sufficient pilots. Earlier in March, Akasa Air’s CRO Vinay Dube said that plenty of pilots are available with the airline. Dube has also reiterated that, at Akasa Air, the plan is in place where pilots are secured not just for the current set of aircraft but also for the foreseeable future in terms of growth.
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Indigo flight cancellations, delays
IndiGo declined to comment on the issue. However, it may be noted that in the start of 2024, major Indian airlines faced a high number of flight cancellations and delays due to bad weather, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated. IndiGo, which leads the market with a share of 60.05% of passenger traffic and has a fleet of more than 350 aircraft, was in the center of the flight cancellation storm with many flyers taking their grievances to the social media as well. Airlines had blamed the cascading effect of fog in Delhi for the chaos.
The grounding of aircraft due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines in recent months has further reduced the number of flight-worthy aircraft, while passenger traffic has steadily risen since the pandemic (domestic traffic rebounded to 136 million in FY23).
Challenges faced by Indian airlines
Pilot shortages, lack of backup staff, limited infrastructure, short turnaround times for aircraft, and tight cost efficiency models have placed significant stress on most leading airlines in India. This stress often results in abrupt flight cancellations, unannounced delays, and poor customer service. It’s no surprise that most airlines are operating at a loss, given the susceptibility of their operating model and environment to financial setbacks. As most airlines provide similar quality services and cover domestic routes of up to 2-2:30 hours, passengers often opt for the cheapest seats. This has led airlines into a fiercely competitive pricing model, which has further affected their finances.