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After nearly a decade of service, Vistara, the full-service carrier, flew its last flight early this morning, marking the end of its operations. The final journey, UK115, took off from New Delhi to Singapore, signalling the end of an era for the airline, which had been a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. Vistara's final domestic flight, UK986, flew from Mumbai to Delhi.
As per PTI, this marks the culmination of Vistara's independent operations, following its merger with Air India. The merger has led to the creation of a much larger airline entity, now the largest international carrier in India and the second-largest in the domestic sector. The merged entity has made a significant impact on the country's rapidly expanding aviation industry.
The first flight of the newly integrated entity took to the skies on Tuesday morning. The flight, AI2286, operated from Doha to Mumbai, while the first domestic flight, AI2984, flew from Mumbai to Delhi. These flights, along with Vistara's last ones, landed at their respective destinations in the early hours of the day, according to flight-tracking information from Flightradar24.com.
As per PTI, the merger has already resulted in operational changes for passengers. Check-in counters previously marked as Vistara have now been converted into Air India counters at airports. Passengers are now being issued Air India boarding passes, and flights formerly operated by Vistara are now using the 'AI2XXX' code for easier identification during bookings.
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The integrated Air India entity, as per PTI, will be operating on 103 domestic routes and 71 international routes. Following the merger, Singapore Airlines will hold a 25.1 per cent stake in the unified airline, which will operate over 5,500 weekly flights, both domestic and international.
The merger was first announced in November 2022, and since then, Tata Group has been at the forefront of consolidating India's aviation market. This merger follows the recent integration of AIX Connect with Air India Express, which was completed on October 1. According to PTI, the combined group, which includes Air India, Vistara, and AIX Connect, held a domestic market share of just over 29 per cent as of September, further solidifying its position in the industry.
With an operational fleet of 298 aircraft - 208 under Air India and approximately 90 with Air India Express - the newly merged entity is set to become a dominant force in the aviation sector, delivering increased connectivity both within India and to international destinations.
According to PTI, a formal announcement regarding the merger is expected to be made later today, with further details on the expanded network and future operations.
(With inputs from PTI)
