No more Vistara, Tata Group to fly only Air India flights from November 12
Nine years after it took its first flight, full-service carrier Vistara is set to bow out from the skies. Vistara, which was started as a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, will complete its merger with the Indian conglomerate's flagship carrier, Air India.
Last Vistara flight on November 11
With the merger, the Vistara brand will cease to fly from November 12, and passengers can only buy tickets until September 2. Passengers who had booked Vistara flights for dates after November 11 will be accommodated on Air India flights.
Vistara bookings will be redirected to Air India?
From September 3, passengers wanting to book flights departing on or after November 12 through Vistara's website will progressively be redirected to Air India's site to complete the booking.
CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday said November 12 has been set as the date for the movement of aircraft and crew of Vistara to Air India.
Vistara bookings after November 11?
"All customers already booked on Vistara flights after 12th November will automatically have their reservations converted to Air India flight numbers; this will occur in phases during September, and customers will be individually informed when this occurs," Wilson said.
The merger of Vistara with Air India was announced in November 2022, and post-completion of the deal, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India.
Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said the merger is about offering passengers more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network while elevating the overall travel experience.
Air India Vistara merger
Gurugram-based Vistara, which launched commercial flight operations in 2015, soon made a reputation for its premium service, and at that time was only one of the three full-service airlines in India.
However, after Tata Sons acquired the privatised Air India in 2022, it became clear that operating two competing full-service airlines did not make economic sense.
After lengthy negotiations and regulatory approvals, the merger of Vistara and Air India was approved. Similarly, Tata Group had consolidated its budget carriers, AirAsia India and Air India Express, into a single entity.
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