As Singapore Airlines informed the Singapore Stock Exchange about receiving approvals for foreign direct investment (FDI) into Air India, the final hurdle for the merger of Vistara with Air India was cleared. Following this, social media teams published the news of the impending merger, and the airline communicated the merger date to stakeholders.
Starting November 12, 2024, a unified airline will begin operations, marking the end of Vistara, the iconic brand established by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines joint venture. This event will see Vistara join the ranks of airlines like Air Sahara and Air Deccan, which also concluded their journeys through mergers. The former merged with Jet Airways, while the latter merged with Kingfisher Airlines.
Loved by passengers and often compared to the golden era of Kingfisher Airlines, Vistara’s story has been one of success and innovation. During its history, the airline witnessed the fall of Jet Airways and seized the opportunity to induct B737s, which it then used to launch international services. This move, however, created a gap in its three-class model, resulting in a fleet that included three-class, dual-class, and mono-class aircraft—a rare scenario for a carrier positioned as a luxury airline.
Vistara achieved several industry firsts, including being the first airline in India to offer Premium Economy. It also introduced a flatbed experience on narrowbody aircraft with the induction of its A321neo, intended for regional international routes. Furthermore, Vistara became the first airline in India to induct the 787-9 variant of the Dreamliner and the A321LR, and it remains the only airline in India to operate these aircraft.
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Even IndiGo, which has XLRs on order, has yet to opt for the A321LR. Vistara also introduced a retro livery on one of its aircraft as a tribute to JRD Tata—a move that honored his legacy before the Tata Group publicly re-entered the aviation industry with Air India.
Since its inception, Vistara operated over 500,000 flights by the end of July and is expected to add another 30,000 flights before it ceases operations in early November. By the end of July, the airline was just under a million passengers shy of carrying 70 million passengers since its launch, and it could carry nearly 5 million more passengers before its final flight.