Indian carrier Vistara today carried out the final flights under its own brand ahead of its integration into the enlarged Air India, after almost a decade of operations.
The airline, established as a joint-venture full-service carrier by Singapore Airlines and Tata Group, launched domestic flights in January 2015 before adding its first international operations four years later.
But Vistara is being merged into the wider Air India after Tata Group acquired the flag carrier following its privatisation. All Vistara flights will operate under the Air India brand from 12 November.
The merger is the main element of a broader combination of Tata’s airline assets, which has also seen AirAsia India folded into Air India Express. Under the Vistara deal, Singapore Airlines will hold a 25% stake in Air India.
Vistara has a fleet of 70 aircraft, including 53 Airbus A320neos, 10 Airbus A321neos and seven Boeing 787-9s. The carrier’s international network includes Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, as well as six destinations in the Middle East and several points in Asia.
Indian civil aviation regulatory data shows Vistara accounted for roughly 9% of Indian carriers’ share of international traffic in the second quarter, and a 10% share of passengers on domestic routes in the third quarter.
It comes after the recent confirmation that another of India’s full-service carriers will not be returning to the skies, after a court ordered the liquidation of Jet Airways.
Jet has not flown since it’s collapse in 2019. It means Air India is the only remaining full-service, widebody Indian operator, though low-cost carrier Indigo Airlines is embarking on an expansion into twin-aisle operations in its own right after ordering up to 100 Airbus A350s.
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