Last updated on December 19th, 2024 at 09:00 pm
Vistara operates its final flights today, merging with Air India under Tata Group, unifying premium services and reshaping Indian aviation.
The Private Airlines flying between the territories in the Indian Subcontinent Vistara a carrier that has been ambitious about having a niche on the Indian market was expected to fly for the last time on the 11 th of November 2024 as it preparation to merge with Air India. originally launched in 2015, Travellers regard Vistara, the Indian premium service, a favorite to fly. But now it is all set to turn into an official part of a much bigger strategy adopted by the Tata Group and that is to bring all their airline operations under one roof.
This merger is not simply the joining together of two airline companies. Indeed, it makes good sense for the Tata Group to rationalize operations and demystify the aviation business. As a result of the Vistara deal, Air India will be the only full service carrier domestically. Singapore Airlines which previously operated a 49% stake in Vistara will continue holding 25.1% in the new merged Air India entity. On this decision, both Tata and Singapore Airlines both get to have their investments and valuations for the new freed skies of India.
On the social media platform LinkedIn, the former Vistara’s CEO, Vinod Kannan, posted a message of gratitude for both the employees of the company and the millions of people who chose Vistara for their air travel. He typed, “Thanks to all #team Vistara – TATA SIA Airlines Ltd old and new. We are grateful to the ~75 million passengers for your support, for choosing us and for sharing your inspirational stories. It was great and I feel privileged to have being associated with this team. From here on the ladder, a step up to the new phase of our life. “The new feeling has a new home.” His words summed up the emotional exit of the old guard not just for customers, but also for the loyal team of Vistara.
While some may feel a little daunted when the transition is complete, that won’t be the case with this experience for Vistara passengers. More than 115,000 passengers with future Vistara flights will now fly under the Air India banner. In order to make customer’s life easier, Vistara has exclusively established help desks in airports to answer questions regarding flights, check-in and services. There are now new signs that will direct passengers towards Air India’s check-in counters and, calls to Vistara’s customer assistance center will now redirect to Air India.
Regular travelers will also discover a couple of other differences. The new routes are even allocated flight codes previously used by Vistara which used to start with UK but from now will just combine with Air India’s flight code AI. For instance, while a given flight that was once sCodes UK 955 will now be known as AI 2955. Customers in the Vistara’s loyalty program will also join that of Air India’s, enabling them to reap more benefits across the Air India network.
Vistara airline was founded in 2015 when Tata group and Singapore airlines decided to form a new airline in India after the government of the country made some liberalization that allowed foreign airlines to own a stake of up to 49% in domestic carriers. Such change in regulations were also accompanied by other affiliations such as Jet Airways with Etihad and also AirAsia India. Since then, Vistara can be credited as being the new full-service airline in India in the last ten years and customers have begun warming up to the airline with the promise of quality and customer satisfaction. Tata Sons owned 51% of the equity stake in Vistara while SIA owning the rest 49% of the share stakes.
In the last few years there were some significant changes in Indian airline industry. Some of the inconveniences attributable to the crashes include; Kingfisher and Jet Airways have shut down operations due to financial breakdowns, Jet Airways declared bankrupt in 2019. However, Vistara has been able to create a good impression in the aviation sector offering its selected customers comfortable and luxurious flying experience. As of today, the Indian airline industry is changing once again with the formal integration of Vistara into Air India.
This is a fresh start for the both airlines under the Tata Group’s plan with the synergies of the propositions of Vistara and Air India. The legacy of Vistara will also remain as part of Air India brand as a part of it while the Vistara brand will cease to exist. For now, passengers can anticipate that traveling on both domestic and international Air India along with Vistara will be a premium experience more than ever.
