VISTARA and AIR INDIA have merged

11 November 2024 is an important day in the history of Indian aviation as it is the final day of flying for Vistara. From a day later, the airline's flights will be operated under the Air India-brand. Its the end-result of the merger initiated when Tata Group acquired Air India in November 2022.
Vistara was established in 2014 and launched operations in January 2015. It was a joint-venture of the Tata Group (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%) and grew to a fleet of seventy aircraft.
The Tata Group acquired Air India in January 2022, and unveiled a plan later that year to merge all its aviation assests under the Air India-brand. Next to Vistara, Tata also owned parts of AirAsia India, which has since been merged with Air India Express.
As of 12 November 2024, the Tata Group operates Air India and Air India Express and combined the airline group is operating 300 aircraft.
Photo by Vistara.

FLEET - Vistara welcomes its last Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

 Marking a momentous milestone as we welcome our last Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (VT-TSN), making it the 70th aircraft to join the fleet.

Here’s to celebrating the rise of our fleet since 2018 and paying tribute to a glorious bird that has soared the skies with immense grace.

Photo: VISTARA

Vistara Operates Its First 787 Flight From Delhi

Indian carrier Vistara has successfully inaugurated a new long-haul route, having operated its first commercial service to Paris over the weekend. It will now fly from Delhi to Charles de Gaulle Airport in the French capital twice a week, using the Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner.’

Vistara reveals third European destination

Paris will join Frankfurt and London on the Indian airline’s route map from November.

Indian full-service carrier Vistara will begin flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) from November, becoming the airline’s third destination in Europe alongside Frankfurt and London.

The Gurugram-based carrier intends to launch a twice weekly service from Delhi (DEL) on Nov. 7 under a bilateral transport bubble agreement between India and France. Flights will be onboard Boeing 787-9 aircraft, operating on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Outgoing Vistara CEO Leslie Thing said the planned route reflects Vistara’s commitment to growing its global network and further building its presence in Europe.

The outbound service from Delhi will depart at 1.45 p.m., arriving in France’s capital at 6.40 p.m. The return leg leaves Paris at 9.45 p.m. and arrives back in Delhi at 10.30 a.m. the following day.



Vistara—a joint-venture airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines—opened its first European route in August 2020, flying between Delhi and London Heathrow (LHR). Service between Delhi and Frankfurt (FRA) started in February this year.

On the DEL-CDG sector, the airline will compete directly with Air France and Air India, which run 4X-weekly Airbus A350-900 and 3X-weekly 787-8 flights respectively. France’s flag-carrier also serves Bengaluru (BRL), Chennai (MAA) and Mumbai (BOM) nonstop from Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Sabre Market Intelligence data shows that Delhi-Paris was the largest city pair between India and France in 2019. Two-way O&D traffic totaling almost 194,000 passengers. About 42% of passengers traveled nonstop between the destinations during the year, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai the largest connecting markets.

Vistara made its maiden international flight in August 2019 and currently offers nine scheduled overseas routes. From Delhi, the airline serves Dhaka (DAC), Doha (DOH), Dubai (DXB), FRA, LHR, Sharjah (SHJ) and Tokyo Haneda (HND). Flights to Male (MLE) and SHJ are also provided from Mumbai.

Earlier this month, the carrier confirmed that Leslie Thng (pictured second right) will depart the business at the end of 2021 after more than four years in charge to take up a role at Singapore Airlines. CCO Vinod Kannan has been named as his replacement and will assume the CEO position from Jan. 1, 2022.

 

Vistara plans 70 aircraft by 2023, wins DOT approval

 

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) aims to have 70 aircraft in its fleet by 2023 and has been exploring new avenues to raise earnings while continuing to cut costs, its chief executive Leslie Thng told the Press Trust of India in an interview on June 2.

The 51/49 Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines Group joint venture aims to expand its Indian domestic network. Still, it has also been pursuing its ambitions of expanding its footprint in the global market, he said, arguing that full-service carriers are even more relevant in the Covid era because of their comparatively distanced seating.

The Delhi Int'l-based airline, which commenced operations in January 2015, currently operates a fleet of 46 aircraft, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows, namely twenty-nine A320-200Ns (with an additional twenty-eight to be delivered), seven A320-200s, two A321-200NXs (and three A321-200Ns to be delivered), six B737-800s, and two B787-9s (with an additional eight to be delivered).

The airline has renegotiated contracts with partners - including the Airbus and Boeing delivery schedules - and has cut salaries while leveraging charter flights and introducing several ancillary services to boost revenues, Thng recounted.

Four B787-9s are expected to be delivered this fiscal year (to March 31, 2022), “along with more from the order we placed with Airbus for A321neo and A320neo.”

Despite the inevitable reductions in capacity, especially during the destructive ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, the airline has planned operations so that its entire fleet is utilised and continues to be fully functional, the chief executive explained. Capacity has plunged from almost 75% of pre-Covid levels in early March 2021 to around 25-30% now.

“Our partners understand that we are all in this together and have been very supportive of our efforts, showing great confidence in Vistara’s future plans and its ability to navigate this crisis,” he said.

In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, Vistara launched six international destinations “under travel bubble agreements” to Dhaka, Doha Hamad Int'l, Frankfurt Int'l, London Heathrow, Malé, and Sharjah, Thng said. According to the ch-aviation capacities module, the Dhaka, Male, and Sharjah routes are not currently operating. But it is set to launch another, to Tokyo Haneda, from June 16.

On June 2, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) granted tentative approval to a Vistara application for an exemption and foreign air carrier permit to operate scheduled and charter passenger and cargo services between India and the US under the air transport agreement between the two countries. As previously reported, the airline applied on April 28 for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) and an exemption to launch commercial services to the US on September 1, 2021, using B787-9 widebody aircraft, without disclosing any specific routes or destinations.
ch aviation

Vistara adds second European destination

The Indian airline will rival Air India and Lufthansa in serving the Delhi-Frankfurt market.Vistara plans to add Frankfurt to its route map from February, becoming the second destination in Europe to be served by the Indian full-service carrier.

From Feb. 18, the airline will start flying between Delhi (DEL) and Frankfurt International (FRA) 2X-weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The 6,120-km (3,803-mi.) route is being launched as part of a transport bubble formed between India and Germany.

“As a key gateway to Germany and an ever-thriving metropolis that is a global hub of finance, commerce and trade, Frankfurt is another significant addition to our route network that also strengthens our presence in Europe,” Vistara CEO Leslie Thng said.

FRA becomes Vistara’s second point served in Europe after London Heathrow (LHR). The airline said that subject to existing regulations around transit traffic, passengers can also travel via FRA to the rest of Germany and the EU.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Air India and Lufthansa connected DEL and FRA daily, offering a combined 8,800 two-way weekly seats. Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that Air India is currently offering 5X-weekly flights, while Lufthansa is serving the route 4X-weekly.

“India and Germany enjoy very strong ties, the impressions of which are visible in many areas including business, science and technology, that continue to fuel demand for travel between the two countries,” Thng said.

“Not only this, Germany is also home to hundreds of thousands of Indians and people of Indian origin.”

Sabre Market Intelligence figures show that O&D traffic between Delhi and Frankfurt totaled 165,447 two-way passengers in 2019—a rise of 54% on the previous 12 months. About 74% of passengers traveled nonstop.

Frankfurt was the fourth biggest O&D market from Delhi in 2019 after London, Paris and Milan.

Vistara, a joint-venture airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, announced in November 2020 plans for a second route to LHR, adding connectivity from Mumbai (BOM) as well as its existing route from DEL. The BOM-LHR flight was due to start on Jan. 16, operating 3X-weekly.

However, in late December India’s government has banned all flights to and from the UK following the discovery of a new, more infectious COVID-19 strain discovered in the UK.

Flights between India and the UK resumed on Jan. 6 although only 30 flights will be operational between the countries instead of 70.

Vistara’s booking system currently shows BOM-LHR flights available from Jan. 26.

By David Casey

Vistara expands London service to daily from Dec 2020

Vistara in winter season plans further service expansion on Delhi – London Heathrow route. Currently scheduled 4 times weekly, the airline will add 5th weekly flight (Day 6) from 21NOV20, and further expands to daily by 01DEC20. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operates this route.



UK017 DEL1345 – 1745LHR 789 D

UK018 LHR2050 – 1025+1DEL 789 D

Routes Online

Vistara extends Delhi – London schedule into W20

Vistara today (24SEP20) filed operational schedule for Delhi – London Heathrow service during winter 2020/21 season, effective from 25OCT20. The airline’s 4 weekly flights will move from overnight to early afternoon departure form Delhi, while London departure moves from afternoon to evening hours.
UK017 DEL1310 – 1715LHR 789 x246
UK018 LHR2050 – 1025+1DEL 789 x246

Vistara - A321NEO - VT-TVB - 21/09/2020

 Dirk Grothe

Vistara increases Delhi – London flights from late-Sep 2020

 

Vistara from late-September 2020 plans to increase Delhi – London Heathrow service, with the addition of 4th weekly flight. From 27SEP20, the new service operates on Sundays, with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

UK015 DEL0215 – 0655LHR 789 x246
UK016 LHR1535 – 0415+1DEL 789 x246

Current schedule is listed until 24OCT20. Winter schedule on/after 25OCT20 remains pending.

Vistara extends Delhi – London schedule to late-October 2020

Vistara in this week’s schedule update extended schedule listing on Delhi – London Heathrow route, launched earlier today (28AUG20). This new route, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft 3 times weekly, is now scheduled until 23OCT20, instead of 30SEP20.
Operational for schedule in October as follows.
UK015 DEL0215 – 0655LHR 789 135

UK016 LHR1535 – 0415+1DEL 789 135

By Jim Liu

Vistara receives its first A321neo aircraft with flat-bed business class

New Delhi, July 24, 2020 Vistara, a joint venture between TATA group and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft in New Delhi today. The aircraft, arriving from Airbus’ final assembly lines in Hamburg, Germany, features India’s most advanced aircraft cabin in the sky with fully flat beds in business class.


Overall, Vistara’s A321neo features a three-class layout with 12 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy and 152 in economy class. The aircraft is the first of six A321neo for the airline, on lease by Air Lease Corporation and part of the 50 A320neo Family aircraft order signed in 2018.


All Vistara A321neo will be powered by latest-generation CFM-Leap 1A engines. These aircraft will be supported by Airbus’ Flight Hour Services Tailored Support Package (FHS-TSP) programme to optimise and secure Vistara fleet operations. The aircraft will complement Vistara’s current Airbus fleet of 32 A320 Family aircraft.


“We are excited to welcome our first A321neo aircraft, the latest addition in our growing fleet. The new aircraft ensures operational enhancement, cost efficiency as well as reduction in carbon footprint for us while enabling extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency and higher range. The new cabin products on our A321 aircraft truly complement our promise of providing a premium and world-class flying experience to travellers from and to India. All of these aspects perfectly align with our international growth strategy,” said Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara.


“In these challenging times, differentiation through efficiency, product and customer mindset is what truly matters, and we are proud to see our A321neo as an essential cornerstone in meeting Vistara’s strategic objectives for the future,” says Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus. “Providing a competitive edge through India’s best in class business cabin as well as significant advantages in terms of operations, efficiency and environment are a truly wise way for a growing airline going forward.”


The A321neo is the largest member of the Airbus’ benchmark A320 Family, seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration. It incorporates the latest technologies, including latest-generation engines, aerodynamic advances and cabin innovations, delivering 20 percent fuel savings. The aircraft offers significant environmental benefits as at least 20 percent reduced emissions and a nearly 50 percent smaller noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. To date, the orderbook for the A320neo Family stands at 7,445 aircraft.

AIRBUS HAMBURG-Finkenwerder (Finki) AIRPORT - 20 APRIL 2020

Thank you so much Dirk Grothe (continue) sharing your photos at this very difficult time for the whole world

A321N_VT-TVA

A321_D-ATCG

Dirk Grothe

Vistara mulls more aircraft to expand to Europe, US

Vistara is planning to add more B787s to expand into Europe and the United States as its parent Singapore Airlines Group looks to exert more competitive pressure on the Gulf carriers, Bloomberg has reported.

The Indian full-service carrier, a 51/49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group, is still in the early stages of planning its proposed acquisition, sources close to developments told the news wire. The exact size of the potential order will, however, be predicated on, among others, the airline's ability to acquire slots at London Heathrow, they said.

Vistara currently has six B787-9s on firm order from Boeing but expects to take additional units from lessors.

The first two B787s are scheduled to deliver in February and March 2020. 

The airline has yet to confirm their initial routes but it is understood that it is studying various options for serving London as a matter of priority.
Ch aviation

Vistara explores options to gain London slots

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) is in talks with a number of airlines holding slots at London Heathrow airport regarding a potential lease, sources told Indian CNBC TV18.

"However, since slots at such a busy airport are a scarce commodity, we are talking to several carriers to take slots on lease. Simultaneously, we are also looking at London Stansted but we are trying to get Heathrow," an unnamed source said.

The Indian carrier, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group, is expecting to take its first four B787-9s in 2020, allowing it to launch long-haul operations. The deliveries of the first two units are tentatively scheduled for February and March 2020. It has six B787-9s on firm order from Boeing but expects to add additional units from lessors, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

Besides London, Vistara will target other destinations in Europe and in the Far East in the first phase of its long-haul expansion. Going forward, it also plans to add services to Australia and North America.

According to the ch-aviation schedules module, the India-London market is already extensively served with scheduled passenger flights from Ahmedabad (Air India), Amritsar (Air India), Bangalore Int'l (Air India and British Airways), Chennai (British Airways), Delhi Int'l (Air India, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic), Hyderabad Int'l (British Airways), and Mumbai Int'l (Air India, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic). All of these flights serve Heathrow with the exception of Air India's services from Amritsar, which serve Stansted. Air India also plans to add a three times weekly Mumbai-Stansted service from February 20. Other airports in the London metro area do not have scheduled services to India, although TUI Airways operates scheduled charters from London Gatwick to Goa Dabolim.

For its part, Vistara remains, for the time being, a predominantly domestic airline with less than 5% of its total scheduled capacity deployed internationally. The carrier's network outside India comprises of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Singapore Changi, Dubai Int'l, and Colombo Int'l. Vistara plans, however, to focus its growth on international routes, achieving a roughly 50/50 split between domestic and international operations by 2023.

ch aviation



As of now, Vistara's fleet includes thirteen A320-200s, nineteen A320-200neo, and nine B737-800s. It has an order for fifty A320neo Family aircraft, including 13 directly from Airbus and 37 from lessors, with five A320neo and two initial A321-200neo due for delivery in 2020.

Vistara eyes London ops in 1H20

Vistara  is expecting to take delivery of its first two widebody aircraft, B787-9s, in February and March 2020, and plans to deploy them to London as one of the first destinations.

India's Vistara launches B737-800 ops

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) launched B737-800 operations on May 31, 2019, using the first of four aircraft of the type it plans to take over from Jet Airways (9W, Mumbai Int'l).

The first aircraft, VT-TGB (msn 39058), was test flown on May 30 prior to commencing revenue operations the day after. Its first flight was UK695 from Delhi Int'l to Amritsar, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

Since then, Vistara has also inducted a second ex-Jet B737-800, VT-TGA (msn 39053), and will shortly add VT-TGD (msn 37960).

All four ex-Jet Airways B737-800s taken over by Vistara are owned by BOC Aviation.

The carrier, a 51/49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group, thus far exclusively operated Airbus aircraft. Its fleet included thirteen A320-200s and nine A320-200neo. It is also in the process of taking over an ex-WOW air A320neo, msn 7560, on dry-lease from Air Lease Corporation. The aircraft was ferried from Maastricht via Sofia to Delhi on June 4-5, 2019.

Vistara has a further thirteen A320neo and six B787-9s on order from Airbus and Boeing, respectively.

ch-aviation

Photo: Aneesh Bapaye - India

Vistara eyes ex-Jet Airways widebodies for European flights

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) is planning to add sixteen aircraft previously operated by Jet Airways (9W, Mumbai Int'l), tentatively including all ten B777-300(ER)s, three A330s, and three B737s, the Business Standard has reported.

The carrier is eyeing the widebody aircraft to hasten its entry into the long-haul market, particularly on routes to Europe.

Currently, Vistara operates an exclusively narrowbody fleet of thirteen A320-200s and nine A320-200neo. The 51/49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group has six B787-9s on order from Boeing with entry into service expected in early 2020.

Prior to its grounding in mid-April, Jet Airways operated ten B777-300(ER)s. The Indian carrier owned all ten units, although their acquisition was backed by US EXIM Bank guarantees. The airline also operated four A330-200s and four A330-300s. Of these, two have already been re-registered on the Isle of Man by owner CDB Leasing.



SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) has so far committed to taking over twenty-two ex-Jet Airways B737s. AirAsia India (I5, Chennai) is also reportedly considering adding some of the narrowbodies, while Air India (AI, Mumbai Int'l) dropped a plan to take over ex-Jet B777s.

ch Aviation

VISTARA - A320 NEO - F-WWIN - msn 8326 - "TATA SIA AIRLINES"

Alain Charpentier

Vistara receives its first A320neo

Three class layout for full service operations

Airbus has delivered the first A320neo to Vistara, a Delhi based full service airline and joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd. and Singapore Airlines (SIA). The delivery is the first of seven aircraft to be leased from BOC Aviation. The aircraft sports a unique A320neo Vistara star symbol livery on its underbelly.

The CFM powered aircraft is configured in a three class layout with 158 seats (8 business class, 24 premium and 126 economy class). Vistara has taken inputs from its growing number of frequent fliers and redesigned the cabin with even more comfort and relaxing features such as mood lighting and increased seat pitch.

Vistara currently operates 13 A320 aircraft on domestic India routes. The increased range of the NEO provides greater reach as Vistara spreads its wings internationally in the future.
The A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver more than 15 percent fuel and CO2 savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020 as well as 50 percent noise reduction. With more than 5,000 orders received from 92 customers since its launch in 2010, the A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent share of the market. With this delivery, Airbus has delivered more than 110 A320neo aircraft to 24 operators