Vistara operations to end November 12; Air India to manage all flights
Vistara said on Friday that its aircraft and passengers will be handled by Air India from November 12, as the merger of the two Tata Group-owned airlines comes closer with Singapore Airlines (SIA) getting approval from the Indian government for acquiring a 25.1% stake in the erstwhile state-run carrier.
«Starting 3 September, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November. All Vistara aircraft thereafter will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website. Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024,» Vistara said in a statement Friday.
Tata Sons owns a 51% stake in Vistara, while SIA holds 49%. Air India is currently owned fully by Tata Sons.
The merger is an effort by the Tata Group to consolidate its airline business. Under this plan, Air India Express and AirAsia India have been merged to form a no-frills airline. The combined entity of Air India and Vistara will compete in the full-service segment.
Singapore Airlines said it expects the Vistara-Air India merger deal, which Indian and Singaporean antitrust regulators have already cleared, to be completed by the end of 2024.
The original target for the completion of the deal was March, which was later extended to October 31. SIA said the companies were in talks about an extension to the agreed stop date of October 31.
After this merger, the Air India group will have a
