Vistara to Cease Operations as Independent Airline, Merged with Air India
November 11, 2024, marks the final day of Vistara’s operations as an independent airline, following its merger into the Air India Group. This move was part of the Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India from the Indian Government in November 2022, which paved the way for the integration of Vistara into Air India’s operations.
Starting November 12, 2024, all Vistara flights will be officially under the Air India brand. However, Vistara aircraft will continue flying under a temporary two-letter designator code, with the ‘UK’ replaced by Air India’s ‘AI’ code, preceded by a ‘2’ before the flight number. This change is expected to be in place during the transition period.
In the first month following the merger, Air India anticipates accommodating around 1.15 million customers who had pre-merger Vistara bookings. To mark the occasion, Vistara shared an emotional farewell message on social media: “As the plane ascends, so do our dreams; let’s glide toward the future, where the sky isn’t the limit, but just the beginning.”
Air India has assured its customers that services offered by Vistara will continue unchanged, including flight schedules, routes, in-flight products, and services. The carrier has also introduced additional support at airports and ticket offices across India, with help desks set up to assist passengers during this transition.
This merger reshapes India’s aviation landscape, with Air India becoming the country’s sole full-service carrier, following the decline of previous airlines like Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airways. However, budget carrier IndiGo continues to challenge Air India’s dominance with its expanding international network and the introduction of business class and loyalty programs.
In a significant move, Singapore Airlines announced it would increase its stake in Air India to 25.1%, making it the largest investment ever in an Indian airline. This investment follows a successful 2012 collaboration between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines to form Vistara, where Singapore Airlines held a 49% stake. Vistara began flying under its own brand in 2015.
In addition to the investment, Air India and Singapore Airlines have expanded their codeshare partnership, which now covers 11 Indian cities and 40 international destinations. This strengthened relationship aims to offer passengers a more seamless travel experience across India and beyond.
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