Vistara trying to hire AirAsia pilots, on deputation

11 Oct 2022 , 08:41 AM

According to a PTI report, full-service airline Vistara is trying to hire pilots on deputation from low-cost carrier AirAsia India to ensure there is an adequate crew for its growing A320 fleet.

The most recent action shows efforts to increase synergy and ensure the best possible use of manpower among group carriers, both of which are Tata-owned airlines.

Air India and Air India Express are both owned by the Tata group.

53 aircraft are in the fleet of Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tatas. 41 A320s and 5 A321s are among them. By December 2023, the airline wants to extend its fleet to 70 aircraft.

A320 aircraft make up the fleet flown by AirAsia India.

The sources that talked to PTI claim that Vistara has been growing its Airbus fleet but does not have enough pilots to fly them.

The source added that Vistara had considered employing some pilots from a low-cost airline operating in Mumbai, but the idea fell through due to problems with the notice period.

Under the condition of anonymity, a second source claimed to PTI that despite having 27 aircraft in its fleet and 400 pilots to fly them, AirAsia India has only been using 18 to 20 of them at a time.

The source added that after receiving the Vistara proposal, AirAsia management left it up to the pilots to decide how many of them should be sent on deputation before making a decision.

To create operational synergies among the three airlines under its control, Tata Group has begun an exercise to assess options for combining AirAsia India and Vistara under Air India.

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