Vistara to make final departure on Nov 11; Air India takes over

Vistara, following its merger with Air India, has said its final flight will depart on November 11, after which all Vistara aircraft will be operated under the Air India banner. Passengers looking to book flights on routes formerly served by Vistara will be redirected to Air India’s website.

On the same day, Singapore Airlines disclosed that it had obtained approval from the Indian government for foreign direct investment, the approval clears a big hurdle towards the completion of the merger. “Air India welcomes the Union Cabinet’s approval for the foreign direct investment by Singapore Airlines in Air India. This is an important milestone that facilitates the merger process between Vistara and Air India, and the broader transformation of the Air India Group,” said an Air India spokesperson.

“Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024,” Vistara states in a release.

Welcoming the Air India-Vistara merger, Vinod Kannan, chief executive officer, Vistara, said, “We are immensely grateful to all our customers for their support and patronage over the last 10 years. As we progress further in our growth journey, we want to emphasise that this merger is about offering them more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network, while elevating the overall travel experience. Vistara and Air India are committed to ensuring that this transition is smooth and hassle-free. We are excited about this new phase in our journey and look forward to welcoming our customers again soon – as Air India.”

Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer & managing director, Air India, said, “Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible. The joint team looks forward to offering our guests an expanded network, additional flight options, an enhanced frequent flyer program and the best of both antecedent airlines and are grateful for the support of our loyal customers through this next phase of building a world class, world scale, global airline with an Indian heart.”

The merger, first revealed in November 2022, aims to create a leading full-service airline for both domestic and international markets. Singapore Airlines, the sole foreign carrier with a direct investment in an Indian airline, will obtain a 25.1% stake in the newly combined Air India group through a $250 million investment. This deal has secured multiple regulatory approvals, including from India's National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in June, Singapore's competition regulator in March, and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in September 2023.

TATA SIA Airlines Limited, operating under the Vistara brand, is a joint venture with a 51:49 ownership split between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA).