Indian full-service carrier Vistara will add a direct Mumbai to London service to its steadily growing international network.
Vista is owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines collective and the new long-haul route into London Heathrow is set to commence 1 June 2023.
London network
The airline will ramp up its presence at LHR (London Heathrow) with direct, five times weekly flights between Mumbai and London.
Vistara will operate its brand-new Boeing 787- 9 Dreamliner, featuring a three-class configuration, on the route as it enhances connectivity between India and the UK.
Mr. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We are delighted to announce Mumbai-London as our fourth route to Europe after connecting Frankfurt, Paris and London with Delhi.”
“The launch of this new route is also a reflection of our customers’ growing preference for Vistara, for travel between India and the UK. This additional gateway also offers our customers more options and flexibility with their travel itineraries while choosing to fly the country’s most loved airline.”
“We look forward to further expanding our presence in Europe, especially with more wide-body aircraft joining our fleet in the coming months.”
About Vistara (TATA SIA Airlines Limited)
TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA).
Vistara commenced its commercial operations on January 9, 2015, with a stated aim to set new standards in the aviation industry in India.
The airline currently operates 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.
Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, besides being lauded for world-class cabin cleanliness and upholding high safety standards.
The airline has recently been featured amongst World’s Top 20 Airlines while being recognised as the ‘Best Airline in India and Southern Asia’ for the second time in a row.
Tata Group merger
News of the full-service carrier’s network expansion into London follows the ongoing airline merger moves by parent company Tata Group.
India’s Tata Group, which currently own 4 major airlines – Air India, Vistara, Air India Express & Air Asia India – is currently undergoing a major overhaul and merger which will see the emergence of one full-service carrier and one low-cost carrier.
By the end of the merger and amalgamation process, Tata Group will own one full-service carrier, operating as Air India, and one low cost carrier operating as Air India Express.
It is anticipated that this merger will be complete by 2024, but again this timeframe will be subject to approvals from the various departments and regulatory bodies.
CEO of Vistara Mr. Vinod Kannan recently cleared the air with respect to concerns of staff employment in the proposed merger process.
He stated that Vistara currently has about 5103 employees, out of which almost 80% are operational staff (including pilots, cabin crew, engineers).
More than 5000 staff will be absorbed by the parent airline Air India and they will be transitioned along with the aircraft, though Mr Kannan highlighted that there might be some designation changes once they become part of Air India.
