India’s Vistara plans to launch US ops in late 3Q21

Vistara (UK, Delhi Int’l) has applied for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) and an exemption to launch commercial services between India and the United States on September 1, 2021. The airline said it sought authorisation to launch scheduled and charter flights carrying both passengers and cargo, including cargo-only flights using B787-9 widebody aircraft. It did not disclose any specific routes or destinations. The Indian 51/49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group highlighted in its application that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) had positively assessed its fitness when evaluating its earlier requests for code-share agreements with United Airlines and Singapore Airlines. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Vistara currently operates two 299-seat B787-9s and is awaiting deliveries of a further eight, including four ordered directly from Boeing. Its current B787-9s are not equipped with crew rest areas and are thus poorly suited to ultra-long-haul services. Vistara would become the third passenger airline operating between the US and India, currently served only by United Airlines and Air India. Collectively, they offer 17,150 weekly scheduled one-way seats split nearly equally between themselves, the ch-aviation capacities module shows. In late October 2021, American Airlines plans to launch services from Seattle Tacoma Int’l to Bangalore Int’l and from New York JFK to Delhi Int’l. Vistara’s existing one-way code-share agreement with United Airlines covers multiple domestic routes out of Delhi and Mumbai Int’l.