Booking Update for Vistara Customers

Vistara will operate its final flight on November 11, after which its operations will be unified with Air India. This marks a significant step in the integration of the two airlines under the Air India brand.

In light of its merger with Air India, Vistara announced on August 30 that it will operate its last flight on November 11. Following this, all Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India, and bookings for routes served by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India’s website.

Starting September 3, 2024, customers will no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after November 12, 2024.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer of 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. 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.”

Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India, said, “Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for 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. 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. We are grateful for the support of our loyal customers as we embark on this next phase of building a world-class, world-scale global airline with an Indian heart.”

Vistara added in a statement, “As the merger process progresses, regular updates will be shared with customers on the websites and social media channels of Vistara and Air India, and via email. This includes information on web check-in, lounge access, ancillary services, and all other possible touchpoints. Dedicated teams across both airlines will make every effort to ensure a seamless transition.”

Singapore Airlines, on August 30, announced that it had received Indian government approval for foreign direct investment, clearing a significant hurdle in the merger of Vistara, its 49%-owned joint venture with Tata-owned Air India. Singapore's flagship carrier had revealed plans to merge the decade-old Vistara with Tata-owned Air India in November 2022, aiming to create a dominant full-service airline in both domestic and international markets.

Singapore Airlines expects the deal, already cleared by Indian and Singaporean antitrust regulators, to be completed by the end of 2024. This timeline marks a delay from the original target of March, and the airline has stated that the companies are in talks about an extension to the agreed stop date of October 31.

Singapore Airlines, the only foreign airline with a direct stake in an Indian carrier, will hold a 25.1% stake in the combined Air India group in return for a $250 million investment. Following the merger, the Singaporean company is due to invest up to $675.42 million.

Tata took over flag carrier Air India in 2022 and embarked on a multi-million-dollar transformation of the former state-run airline.