Air India to operate Vistara flights from November as merger gets key approval

Following approval from the Indian government, the takeover by Air India of Vistara will go ahead the former will operate the latter's flights from November. According to the deal, the last Vistara-operated flight will take place on 11th November.   

Singapore Airlines owns 49% of Vistara in a joint venture with India's Tata Group confirmed it had received approval for foreign direct investment into an expanded Air India from the Indian government. Once completed it would put to bed a merger deal that has been in the making since November 2022.

From tomorrow 3rd September customers would no longer be able to book flights on Vistara for travel on or after 12 November this year. Instead, people would be directed to Air India's site. 

Singapore Airlines, which is currently the only foreign airline with a direct stake in an Indian carrier, will then hold a 25.1% stake in the combined Air India group in return for a $250 million investment. The deal was agreed in part due to the agreement that the Singaporean airline is due to invest up to 50.2 billion Indian rupees in the group once the merger is completed. 

This is a key moment in the development of Singapore Airlines' overseas investments, it was only at the beginning of July that the group got approval from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) for a commercial joint venture deal with Garuda Indonesia.

With this approval, the airlines will be able to deepen their strategic partnership on a wider range of commercial activities that will bring greater benefits to both airlines. These potentially include operating joint revenue-sharing flights between the two countries, coordinating flight schedules to offer travellers more options and seamless connectivity between Singapore and Indonesia and beyond, and exploring joint sales and marketing initiatives that provide greater value to both airlines’ customers.

Vistara Becomes a UATP Merchant to Expand Selling Ability and Fuel Growth

The partnership with the award-winning carrier accelerates UATP's expansion into the Indian market 

Vistara, India's finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has become a UATP Merchant. This allows Vistara to accept payments across all channels.

Vistara will enjoy lower payment acceptance costs, helping it reduce its overall cost of distribution for the airline. It also enables Vistara to access the extensive ecosystem of travel agencies, corporate travel management companies and other sales entities, for which UATP is a preferred form of payment. Additionally, Vistara is also able to connect to a wide range of alternative forms of payment (AFPs) through UATP, an important advantage in the Indian marketplace where digital payment transactions have increased by 56% this year and are projected to quadruple by 2028. Vistara chose the UATP network due to its ability to reduce complexity while maximizing revenue potential.

UATP extends its reach into India

Renewing the partnership with Vistara is the most recent step in UATP's continued expansion into India. As the largest country in the world by population and with a fast-growing travel sector, India represents further opportunities for UATP, already one of the most far-reaching and reputable global payment networks. Strengthening its relationship with Vistara, ahead of its proposed merger with Air India, is part of UATP's broader strategic plan to expand its payment solutions to additional Indian merchants in the travel sector and beyond. 

The best airlines for business class...

The Business Travel Index from Tipalti has analyzed factors such as service, lounge facilities, seat comfort and inflight entertainment, to reveal the airlines to travel on in business class. 

The top 10 best airlines for those travelling business class: 

Rank	Airline	Average Lounge Score	Average Seat Score	Average Inflight Score	Overall Score
1	Oman Air	4	5	3.5	8.39
2	Cathay Pacific Airways	4	4.8	3.75	8.28
3	EVA Air	4	4.6	4	7.93
4	Qatar Airways	4	4.2	4	7.7
5	Vistara	3.75	4.6	4	7.47
6	Japan Airlines	3.8	4	4	7.24
7	Asiana Airlines	4	2.8	3.75	6.09
8	Kenya Airways	4	4.8	2.75	6.09
9	Qantas Airways	3.8	3.8	3.25	5.98
10	Singapore Airlines	3.4	3	4	5.75

Topping the list of best business-class airlines is Oman Air, with an overall score of 8.39. The airline is based at Muscat International Airport and travels to over 50 destinations, including the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. 

Oman Air scores 5/5 across the board when it comes to its aircraft’s business-class seats, making it the highest-scoring airline in this category. It also receives 4/5 in areas such as staff service (both inflight and in the lounge), inflight entertainment, and lounge catering.

Following closely behind is Cathay Pacific Airways, which receives an overall score of 8.28. It is the largest airline in Hong Kong, with its head office located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline provides flights to over 60 destinations, such as Seoul, Dubai, and Johannesburg.

Cathay Pacific Airways scores 4/5 for the comfort of its seats (both sitting and sleeping), as well as for their width and length, meaning those travelling long haul can rest comfortably. The airline also scores highly for its catering options in lounges, which include The Teahouse in the Pier Business lounge and Noodle Bar in the Wing Business lounge, both located at Hong Kong International Airport.

In third place is EVA Air, with an overall score of 7.93. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan and has hubs in both Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport. The airline flies to 30 different countries, including Thailand, Japan, and China.

EVA Air scores no less than 4/5 across all three categories, receiving 4 for both its lounges and inflight services and 4.6 for its seats. The airline scores 5/5 for the sitting comfort, width, and length of its seats, meaning that anyone choosing to travel with EVA Air is guaranteed to have a comfortable and relaxing experience when travelling long distances.

Ultimate Business Travel Index | Tipalti

Avolon delivers 15 Airbus A320neo jets to Vistara

 

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, announces it has completed the delivery of 15 A320neo aircraft to Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

 

Paul Geaney, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Avolon commented: “We are delighted to have completed this delivery of 15 fuel efficient new technology aircraft to Vistara. The rapidly growing Indian aviation market is benefitting from Vistara’s continued success and we welcome the opportunity to have supported this expansion of their A320neo fleet.”

 

Deepak Rajawat, Chief Commercial Officer, Vistara commented: “A modern and efficient fleet is the backbone of any airline operations and enables consistent growth. We are pleased to have worked with Avolon on the delivery of these 15 aircraft which enabled us to continue our expansion and offer greater connectivity to our customers.” The airline currently has a fleet of 59 aircraft, including 45 Airbus A320neo, 8 Airbus A321, 2 Boeing 737-800NG and 4 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and has flown more than 45 million customers since starting operations. 

For travel insurance....

Indian Carrier Vistara Joins Airline Association BARIG

On January 1, 2023, the Indian carrier Vistara (TATA SIA Airlines Limited), a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited (51 percent) and Singapore Airlines Limited (49 percent), will become a member of the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), which is advocating the interests of national and international airlines operating to and from Germany. With a fleet of over 50 modern aircraft, Vistara operates more than 250 flights daily to more than 40 destinations within India and globally. Vistara, represented by Friends Touristik Marketing GmbH & Co. KG in the German market, serves Germany – India’s largest EU trading partner – with six flights a week between the Indian capital Delhi and Frankfurt am Main.

 

Michael Hoppe, BARIG Chairman and Executive Director: “With Vistara, an airline joins BARIG that has been able to grow very dynamically since its first flight in October 2013. We are looking forward to the professional exchange and the joint work in our association’s various committees.”

 

Jai Prakash Tiwari, Country Manager Germany at Vistara: “The work of an airline association such as BARIG at the interface with, for example, politics or the authorities and airport operators is of great value to air traffic. Important, forward-looking topics are advanced here. As a member of BARIG, we want to participate in this and look forward to working with other airline representatives and association partners.”

 

Since the start of operations in 2013, more than 35 million passengers have already travelled with Vistara. A fleet expansion by more than 20 narrow- and wide-body aircraft to over 70 airplanes is planned for 2023. By now, the airline is already operating one of Asia’s youngest fleets. At the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022, Vistara was named ‘Best Airline in India and South Asia’ for the second time in a row. Moreover, Vistara was also ranked first in other categories, such as ‘Best Business Class in India and South Asia’ as well as ‘Best Airline Staff Service’ and ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the region.

Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons agree to merge Air India and Vistara.......

A major shake-up of the commercial airline scene in India..

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons (Tata) have agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA also investing INR 20,585 million (S$360 million, US$250 million) in Air India as part of the transaction. This would give SIA a 25.1% stake in an enlarged Air India group with a significant presence in all key market segments1. SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

SIA intends to fully fund this investment with its internal cash resources, which stood at S$17.5 billion as of 30 September 20222.

SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate in additional capital injections, if required, to fund the growth and operations of the enlarged Air India in FY2022/23 and FY2023/24. Based on SIA’s 25.1% stake post-completion, its share of any additional capital injection could be up to INR 50,200 million (S$880 million, US$615 million), payable only after the completion of the merger.

The actual amount will depend on factors including the progress of the enlarged Air India’s business plan, and its access to other funding options. SIA intends to fully fund any additional capital injections with its internal cash resources.

The merger will create India’s leading airline group

Through this transaction, SIA will reinforce its partnership with Tata and immediately acquire a strategic stake in an entity that is four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara. The merger would bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in a large and fast-growing aviation market.

Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “Tata Sons is one of the most established and respected names in India. Our collaboration to set up Vistara in 2013 resulted in a market-leading full-service carrier, which has won many global accolades in a short time.

“With this merger, we have an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Tata and participate directly in an exciting new growth phase in India’s aviation market. We will work together to support Air India’s transformation programme, unlock its significant potential, and restore it to its position as a leading airline on the global stage.”

Mr Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, of Tata Sons, said: “The merger of Vistara and Air India is an important milestone in our journey to make Air India a truly world-class airline. We are transforming Air India, with the aim of providing great customer experience, every time, for every customer. As part of the transformation, Air India is focusing on growing both its network and fleet, revamping its customer proposition, enhancing safety, reliability, and on-time performance.

“We are excited with the opportunity of creating a strong Air India which would offer both full-service and low-cost services across domestic and international routes. We would like to thank Singapore Airlines for their continued partnership.”

India is the fastest-growing global economy, and is projected to become the third-largest in the world by 20273.  It is also the world’s third-largest aviation market. Demand for air travel is surging with passenger traffic expected to more than double over the next 10 years, supported by rising income levels and ongoing investments in its aviation infrastructure. However, India also remains underserved with low international seats per capita, signifying significant growth potential4 .

Qatar Airways named World’s Best Airline for seventh time at 2022 Skytrax World Airline Awards

Qatar Airways has been voted the World’s Best Airline for a record seventh time at the 2022 World Airline Awards, winning the prestigious Airline of the Year 2022 title.

After two years of virtual award ceremonies, the 2022 World Airline Awards event returned to normal procedures, with airlines from around the world attending the 2022 awards ceremony, held today at the historic Langham Hotel in London, United Kingdom.

Widely regarded as ‘the Oscars of the aviation industry’, the World Airline Awards began in 1999, and remain totally independent and impartial with all of the customer survey costs and awards event paid by the organisers, Skytrax.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, said: “To be named as the World’s Best Airline was always a goal when Qatar Airways was created, but to win it for the seventh time and pick up three additional awards is a testament to all the hard work of our incredible employees. Their continued dedication and drive is to ensure our passengers have the best experience possible when they fly with Qatar Airways. To win these awards in the same year that we celebrate our 25th anniversary is even more rewarding and I want to offer a sincere thanks to all our passengers who voted for us. Your support drives us to greater achievements every day, we value your loyalty and aim to create memories of a lifetime when you fly with Qatar Airways.”

Singapore Airlines takes second position in the world, with Emirates third, ANA All Nippon Airways fourth, and Qantas Airways in fifth position, out of more than 350 airlines included in the survey results.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: “To receive the 2022 World’s Best Airline award is a great recognition of Qatar Airways high standards, and recognises the hard work and dedication from every member of the airline’s staff to satisfy customers. Qatar Airways was the largest airline to have flown consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with their network never falling below 30 destinations, and that determination has clearly been well recognised by customers with this award as Airline of the Year 2022. For Qatar Airways to achieve this top accolade for a seventh time is both a unique and remarkable achievement, and we congratulate them for this success.”

Big winners at the awards included Qatar Airways who scooped nine award wins, with Singapore Airlines also receiving nine awards. Delta Air Lines was the success in North America, winning six awards. In Europe, Turkish Airlines was dominant, receiving four awards including the highly competitive Best Airline in Europe title.

India’s Vistara was another key winner, receiving two awards, the Best Airline in India and Southern Asia and Best Airline Staff Service in India and Southern Asia. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer of Vistara said “It is incredibly heartening for all of us at Vistara to win these awards, which reaffirms the steadfast trust our customers have in us and is a true testament to Vistara setting global benchmarks for excellence in operations and service delivery.”

airBaltic celebrated success at the 2022 World Airline Awards for the first time, receiving the awards for the Best Airline in Eastern Europe, the Most Improved Airline in Europe and the Best Airline Staff in Eastern Europe. Martin Gauss, President and CEO at airBaltic: “We at airBaltic are continuously working on improving and innovating. There is an incredible motivation, dedication and passion within the airBaltic team towards what we do. Therefore I am proud and honoured to receive this award today on behalf of our team and to see our work and efforts being recognized on an international scale.”

Lufthansa Technik win 787-9 line maintenance at Frankfurt with Vistara.

Lufthansa Technik has confirmed on Monday that it had just signed a contract with the Indian carrier, Vistara - TATA SIA Airlines Ltd. for on line maintenance support for their Boeing 787-9 in Frankfurt for a period of two years. 

Vistara completed its first flight from Delhi to Frankfurt with this aircraft type in February. Furthermore, Vistara is the latest CFM Leap-1A customer from the Asia Pacific region sending an engine to Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg base for a Quick Engine Change build up. 

Vistara, a joint venture of TATA group India and Singapore Airlines, is India's premium full-service carrier and the only 5-star rated airline in India. Lufthansa Technik was already supporting the airline with services for their whole fleet including components for the Boeing 787, single component services, ad hoc composites repairs, consumables supply and AOG support for their Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 fleets.

 "Lufthansa Technik has been working with us for the past four years, and we trust their technical expertise, capabilities and quick response time. Vistara is committed to the highest standards of operational efficiency and our trusted partner has supported us in maintaining a continued focus on maximizing customer satisfaction," said Sisira Kanta Dash, Senior Vice President - Engineering, Vistara.

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Vistara in talks with planemakers, lessors to delay taking delivery of some aircraft

Indian airline Vistara is in talks with planemakers and leasing companies to delay taking delivery of some aircraft, the carrier’s chief strategy officer said on Monday, as COVID-19 hits demand for air travel, reports Reuters.

Vistara, owned by India’s Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, placed an order for 13 A320-neo family aircraft from Airbus SE  in 2018 and said it would take another 37 Airbus planes from leasing companies - all due for delivery between 2019 and 2023. 

It also has six Boeing Co 787-9 Dreamliner widebody planes on order, primarily for international flights, due to be delivered in 2020 and 2021. 

Delivery of some planes have already been pushed back due to logistics issues and production delays at the planemakers, as countries went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Vinod Kannan, chief strategy officer at Vistara told reporters. 

Making Travel Easier - United Airlines and Vistara Launch Codeshare Agreement

United Airlines and Vistara announced the start of a new codeshare agreement allowing United customers to book travel on 68 Vistara-operated flights to 26 destinations throughout India for travel beginning February 28. The codeshare builds on the agreement between the airlines in which MileagePlus and Vistara's loyalty program members earn and redeem miles when flying on either of the airline's route network. 

The United and Vistara agreement offers customers a simplified experience when planning travel between dozens of destinations throughout India including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Udaipur, Varanasi and more.

United Airlines and Vistara Launch Codeshare Agreement

 United Airlines and Vistara announced the start of a new codeshare agreement allowing United customers to book travel on 68 Vistara-operated flights to 26 destinations throughout India for travel beginning February 28. The codeshare builds on the agreement between the airlines in which MileagePlus and Vistara's loyalty program members earn and redeem miles when flying on either of the airline's route network. 

The United and Vistara agreement offers customers a simplified experience when planning travel between dozens of destinations throughout India including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Udaipur, Varanasi and more.

"We are excited to offer our shared customers the option of building a seamless itinerary when planning travel to cities beyond New Delhi and Mumbai," said John Gebo, United's senior vice president of Alliances. "United has connected customers to India for more than 15 years with daily flights between New York/Newark and Delhi and Mumbai and our new service between San Francisco and New Delhi. Our relationship with Vistara opens up even more options for customers to travel between our East and West Coast hubs and multiple destinations throughout India."

Singapore Airlines and Vistara to expand codeshare agreement to international flights

Following the recent announcement of Vistara’s first international flights to Singapore from New Delhi and Mumbai, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and regional subsidiary SilkAir have signed an agreement with Vistara to expand codesharing to international routes. Vistara will commence international operations from 6 Aug 2019, when it launches its Delhi – Singapore operations.

Under the expansion of an existing codeshare agreement which covers Indian domestic flights, SIA will add its ‘SQ’ designator code to Vistara’s new international flights. In addition, SIA and SilkAir will add nine new codeshare destinations within India on Vistara-operated flights1 . With this expansion, SIA will codeshare on Vistara flights to more than 20 Indian destinations.

Vistara to lease 15 new Airbus NEO aircraft.

Air Lease Corporation announced this week a long-term lease deal has been confirmed with Vistara for nine Airbus A320-200neo and six Airbus A321-200neo aircraft.

The Indian full-service airline Vistara is a joint venture operation between TATA and Singapore Airlines and is, in part, in the running to form a new venture to take over financially troubled Jet Airways.  

The nine A320-200neo aircraft will feature CFM56 LEAP-1A26 engines and will be delivered to Vistara starting in the first quarter of 2021 through to 2022. Featuring CFM56 LEAP-1A32 engines, the six A321-200neo aircraft will be delivered to the airline starting the first quarter of 2020 and through 2021. 

“ALC is pleased to announce this significant lease placement of 15 aircraft with Vistara,” said Kishore Korde, Executive Vice President of Air Lease Corporation. “The A320-200neo and A321-200neo offer the most modern, fuel-efficient new technology that will greatly enhance Vistara’s fleet operations and passenger experience. ALC looks forward to a long and successful relationship with Vistara as we work together to modernize and grow the airline.”

With these 15 A320neo family aircraft and the A320-200’s already leased by ALC to Vistara, ALC is expected to become the lessor with the largest share in Vistara’s fleet as measured by the number of aircraft as well as by aircraft value.

British Airways and Vistara announce codeshare deal

British Airways and Indian domestic carrier, Vistara, today announced a new codeshare partnership that is designed to open up more routes between London and India than ever before.

As part of the new agreement, customers can book seats on Vistara flights to destinations across India from Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. Seats are available to buy on ba.com from today, for travel from September 27, 2018.

The UK airline operates two direct flights a day from Heathrow to Mumbai, a double daily service to Delhi and a daily flight to Chennai. The carrier also flies direct to Hyderabad and Bangalore from Terminal 5 and is rolling out a £4.5 billion, five-year customer investment plan, that includes the installation of the best quality Wi-Fi and the delivery of 72 new aircraft.

Qatar Airways and Vistara Partnership

Qatar Airways has today entered into a new interline partnership with growing, full-service Indian airline Vistara, as the Qatari national carrier marks more than 20 successful years of flights to India.


The new interline agreement taking effect from 22 August, 2017 will allow Qatar Airways’ passengers to travel seamlessly to and from a wide range of cities within India across Vistara’s network, via Qatar Airways’ existing 13 Indian gateways and under a single ticket with QR’s generous baggage allowance throughout the journey.