An Indian airline says ‘unforeseen’ supply chain woes have left it without enough uniforms to dress its flight attendants amidst a hiring blitz.

In a statement, Gurugram-based Vistara said it would start dressing flight attendants in off-the-rack black polo tops after the airline was hit by delays in receiving its distinctive aubergine-coloured uniform.

“While not an ideal measure, but with the objective of ensuring business continuity and smooth operations to the maximum extent, we have found as interim solution,” the airline said in a statement.

“In the coming days, some of our cabin crew may be seen performing their duties in black-coloured trousers and polo t-shirts with the Vistara logo instead of our standard aubergine uniform”.

“We would like to assure our customers that irrespective of this temporary uniform, the focus of all our cabin crew remains on delivering world-class customer service,” the statement continued.

Vistara is a full-service airline which was created as a joint venture between India’s Tata & Sons conglomerate and Singapore Airlines. The Vistara brand is, however, set to disappear in the coming year as the airline is folded into Air India following Tata’s takeover of Air India.

Earlier this year, flight attendants at German flag carrier Lufthansa said they were frustrated by delays in receiving new uniforms, forcing them to work in thread-bare garments.

Blazers, shirts, and blouses were said to be running in short supply, which Lufthansa blamed on “temporary bottlenecks”. The airline said the situation was getting better but that the war in Ukraine had exasperated post-pandemic supply chain issues that have affected a wide range of consumer goods.