With Tata-group airline Vistara’s imminent merger with Air India, it announced a one-time ‘special bonus’ for all its employees on Tuesday.
The bonus was based on the airline’s operational and financial performance, “to recognise your efforts and contributions in making Vistara the world-class airline it is today,” wrote CEO Vinod Kannan in an e-mail.
Sources said pilots will get ₹75,000-₹2.25 lakh. Vistara’s employees have expressed concern over their role and remuneration in the merged entity.
Vistara’s junior pilots have been particularly unhappy over what they call is a “57% salary cut”, or a loss of ₹80,000-₹1.4 lakh, after Vistara announced it would be introducing Air India’s salary structure that provides minimum assured flying of 40 hours instead of 70 hours. It has also been seeing 10-15 flight cancellations since mid February because of unavailability of crew due to these concerns.
The merger was green lighted from the competition commissions of Singapore and India, in which Singapore International Airlines will hold a 25.1% stake. The matter is also expected to be taken up by the National Company Law Tribunal on April 5.
