Vistara asks employees for leave without pay as coronavirus lockdown heightens woes of aviation

Tata SIA joint venture Vistara has asked its top management to go on leave without pay for few days in May and June as well as the airline industry reels under the pressure of coronavirus lockdown, Vistara CEO Leslie Thng on Tuesday directed senior employees to go on compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to four days each in the months of May and June as the airline looks to conserve its cash flow, PTI reported. Aviation industry is one of the worst hit sectors due to coronavirus lockdown as the world has imposed travel and flight restrictions. Most domestic airlines are now looking for ways to tide over the difficulties due to absolutely zero passenger traffic for over a month now.

Vistara has about 1,200 employees in senior grade and the airline had earlier also asked the top management for compulsory leave without pay for up to six days last month. The airline’s move will not affect about 2,800 remaining employees of the airline such as members of cabin crew and ground handling services will be unaffected. “We will continue with the difficult decision to reduce staff costs to preserve jobs,” Leslie Thng said in an email to employees, the news agency reported.