Vistara has announced plans to boost hiring in the coming months to add 1,000 jobs by the end of 2022. The move comes as the full-service airline looks to increase capacity once again and add new 20 new planes. Here's a look at the ramp-up.

Meeting the demand

After a drop in traffic in January, Indian airlines have surged back to life in recent weeks. Recent days have seen traffic reach 85% of pre-pandemic domestic levels, reaching 347,942 passengers on Sunday alone. To keep up with this demand, Vistara hopes to increase its 4,000-strong workforce.

CEO Vinod Kannan has announced plans to add 1,000 jobs across the organization by the end of 2022. This will help the airline with its ongoing capacity troubles and improve customer relations. With airlines expecting to surpass 2019 levels this summer, Vistara cannot afford to fall behind in any way.

MSN9297 1st A321neo Vistara
The 'VT' prefix was assigned to India almost a century ago, in 1929. Photo: Airbus

The announcement also comes after Kannan wrote an email to all the airline's customers apologizing for flight disruptions and a lack of customer support online or on phone lines. He said,

"While we had resumed recruitment and ramp-up of resources on various fronts buoyed by optimism in late 2021, the requirements around training and occupancy meant that we were not able to scale up as desired. This, coupled with a scale back in capacity, necessitated by a precipitous decline in demand, implied that the volume of enquiries and requests increased manifold."

Part of the plan

While the increase in staffing may have been accelerated by recent events, Vistara has been expanding for years now. The carrier plans to grow its fleet from 50 to 70 aircraft by the end of 2023. This will require new crew members, support staff, and related jobs. Hiring and training people now will ensure the airline is not competing for jobs in the coming months as new airlines enter the market.

Vistara is expecting to take delivery of its four remaining 787-9s as soon as the ban on Boeing deliveries is lifted. More A320neo family planes will be joining in the coming months as well, while the 737 and other aging jets return to lessors. Overall, the carrier is planning to grow its market share at home and internationally soon.

Vistara 787
Photo: Vistara.

While the last two years have seen Indian airlines shed jobs, we are now seeing a period of expansion once again. New entrants like Akasa Air and the returning Jet Airways are snapping up pilots and crew members, while other airlines are also eying more crew. For now, Vistara will be looking to guarantee its future growth as soon as possible.

No news of a merger

Vistara's decisions are being monitored closely given the high chance of a merger with Tata-owned Air India. While there is a one-year hold on any merger, the two airlines have been getting closer, and new hires would be helpful at Air India as well. For now, both airlines remain competitors and Vistara is pushing ahead with plans to enter the lucrative US market.

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