Vistara Struggles With Uniform Shortage for Cabin Crew Due to 'Unforeseen' Supply Chain Issues

Full-service carrier Vistara on Friday said it is facing an shortage of cabin crew uniforms due to “unforeseen” supply chain issues and increase in the airline staff.

The carrier, which has been aggressively hiring pilots and cabin crew members following the collapse of Go First, in a statement said, “Given our fleet expansion, we have been scaling up our cabin crew strength as well. However, due to an unforeseen issue with the supply of material, Vistara is experiencing limited availability of its cabin crew uniforms.”

Noting that it is not an “ideal measure”, it said “some of our cabin crew may be seen performing their duties in black-coloured trousers and polo t-shirts with Vistara logo instead of our standard aubergine uniform.”

“We are actively working with our suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” he said.

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said the airline, which is set to merge with Air India, anticipates the addition of 10 aircraft and the recruitment of over 1,000 employees during the current financial year. As part of their strategic shift, Vistara has decided to defer plans for commencing flights to the United States. Presently, the airline operates with a fleet of 61 aircraft and employs over 5,200 staff members.

The merger between Vistara and Air India was announced by the Tata Group in November 2022. As part of the agreement, Singapore Airlines is set to acquire a 25.1 percent stake in Air India. The completion of the deal is anticipated by March 2024, pending necessary regulatory approvals.