New Delhi: Vistara airlines has announced that senior employees will have to go for compulsory leave without pay for up to four days in a month. According to a report by PTI, Vistara CEO Leslie Thng announced today that senior employees will have to go on compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to four days per month in May and June. The step will be taken to preserve the cash flow of the organisation especially during this time of crisis when the aviation sector is facing difficulties due to lockdowns across the world. Even in April, the airlines had asked the senior employees on compulsory LWP for up to six days.

The pandemic has severely impacted the aviation sector across the world. According to a Reuters report, US airlines are planning for massive layouts and are bracing for low demands that could last for years. In India where the lockdown has been extended domestic and international passenger flight services remain suspended till May 17 and airlines are planning ways to tide over the difficult time.

In Vistara, the LWP will impact over 1,200 employees in senior positions. The remaining 2,800 employees of the airline such as members of cabin crew and ground handling services will be unaffected.

The report said that Thing informed employees in an email, “We will continue with the difficult decision to reduce staff costs to preserve jobs. For the month of May and June 2020, we will continue with compulsory no pay leave (CNPL) for all staff, except for pilots and staff in Level 1A and 1B, as follows: Staff in Level 4 and 5 to go on 4 days CNPL per month; Staff in Level 2 and 3 to go on 3 days CNPL per month; Staff in Level 1C to go on 1 day CNPL per month."

The CEO has also stated that for May and June, the monthly base flying allowance for pilots has been reduced to 20 hours per month although this will not be applicable to trainee first officers.  Earlier, the base flying allowance was given to pilots for 70 hours per month.