Vistara Merger With Air India: Airline To Operate Its Last Flight On November 11

Vistara will operate the last flight under its brand on November 11 and the full-service carrier's operations will be unified with Air India from November 12, the airlines announced on Friday.

The government has approved Singapore Airlines' foreign direct investment as part of the merger deal. Customers will no longer be able to book flights with Vistara beyond November 12.

Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

All Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website, the company informed.

What did Vistara Say?

"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 said in a release on Friday.

Thereafter, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these planes will be redirected to Air India's website.

"Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024," the release said.

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 emphasize that this merger is about offering them more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network, while elevating the overall travel experience."

He also said, "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."

What Did Air India Say?

In a separate release, Air India welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval for the foreign direct investment by Singapore Airlines in the airline.

"This is an important milestone that facilitates the merger process between Vistara and Air India, and the broader transformation of the Air India Group," it said.

Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said, "Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together 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."

He further added, "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."

On August 10, both companies received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to combine their aircraft maintenance operations. This approval is known as CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) 145, according to an official statement.