GURUGRAM: Air India Group has completed the operational integration and legal merger between Air India and Vistara, creating a full-service carrier of scale and marking a significant milestone in the post-privatization transformation journey. This follows the merger of the Group’s low-cost airlines Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly Air Asia India) on
1 October 2024.

The consolidation of the four Tata-owned airlines into one Group operating one full-service and one low-cost airline is part of the ongoing, five-year transformation program, Vihaan.AI, which is focussed on establishing Air India Group as a world-class global aviation company with an Indian heart.

The unified Air India Group now operates over 8,300 weekly flights on 312 routes, connecting more than 100 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 300 aircraft.

The new full-service entity Air India operates over 5,600 weekly flights and connects more than 90 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 208 aircraft. The airline will now be flying over 120,000 passengers every day and offers extended worldwide connectivity to over 800 destinations through more than 75 codeshare and interline partners.

Preparation for the full-service merger commenced in earnest more than two years ago and has seen the induction of more than 6,000 staff from Vistara into a new organizational structure, harmonization of operating procedures across the four airlines, and alignment of over 140 IT systems. Amongst many other aspects, more than 4,000 vendor contracts have been consolidated, 270,000 customer bookings migrated and 4.5 million Club Vistara frequent flyer accounts inducted to Air India’s recently-redesigned frequent flyer program, Maharaja Club.

Given the unprecedented nature and complexity of the parallel mergers, which coincide with the Group’s significant expansion and transformation programs, close contact was maintained with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which supported and monitored the process throughout. The merger also received support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and other key stakeholders, including multiple international regulators.

Besides the consolidation of the four Tata-owned airlines, the Vihaan.AI transformation program has seen a commitment to more than 500 new aircraft, delivery of which is well underway, and the commencement of a USD 400 million interior retrofit program for legacy aircraft. A new 600,000-square-foot training facility with the capacity to train 2,000 employees per day has been opened, and ground has been broken on a 12-bay maintenance base that will be operational in early 2026. More than 9,000 new employees have been inducted and trained, and the airlines’ IT platform has been entirely modernized, amongst much else.

Campbell Wilson, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Air India, said, “The merger of Air India and Vistara completes the consolidation and restructuring phase of the Air India Group’s post-privatization transformation journey, and is thus a significant milestone. Over the past two years, teams across the four airlines have worked closely together and with other stakeholders to ensure that the transition of people, assets, operations, and, most importantly, customers, was as seamless as possible. Given the scale and scope of this project and its unprecedented nature, I would like to acknowledge the support received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and others in making this merger possible. I would also like to acknowledge and thank our staff, who have undertaken this task whilst also driving comprehensive transformation across the business and supporting the induction of over 100 additional aircraft to the operating fleet. Finally, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the support and encouragement of our customers, for whom all the effort is ultimately intended, and to re-emphasize our commitment to creating a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.”

The unified full-service carrier will operate flights as ‘Air India’ with the airline code ‘AI’. Post-merger, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India, with the Vistara crew and service proposition, and can be identified by a four-digit flight number beginning with the digit “2” (e.g. UK 955 will become AI 2955).

In addition, the existing members of Vistara’s loyalty program Club Vistara have been transferred to Air India’s Flying Returns program, now renamed ‘Maharaja Club’.

Consequent to the merger of Vistara and Air India, Singapore Airlines, which held a 49% share in Vistara, became a 25.1% shareholder in the resultant Air India group.

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For instance, UK 955 will become AI 2955, helping customers identify them while booking on www.airindia.com after November 12.

The routes and schedule operated by Vistara aircraft will continue to be the same, alongside the Vistara in-flight experience that includes the product and service such as menu and cutlery on the Vistara aircraft. It will also be serviced by the same crew.

The airline, through a multi-media campaign, also pointed out that the unified Air India opens up limitless possibilities for passengers including unparalleled connection to over 90 domestic and international destinations and over 800 more destinations through codeshare and interline partners.

The existing members of Club Vistara will be seamlessly transferred to Air India’s Flying Returns program. With this merger, Flying Returns will also evolve into an all-new avatar ‘Maharaja Club’.

In parallel, Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara’s catering now also extended to Air India.

Air India’s widebody fleet has also been augmented with the entry of six A350 aircraft that have started to fly between Delhi and London and will soon operate between Delhi and New York.

Air India has started its retrofit program with the first A320neo narrow-body aircraft going for retrofit in early September. 27 narrow-body legacy aircraft will be totally refurbished and retrofitted and this retrofit is likely to be completed by the middle of 2025.

The retrofitted A320neo aircraft will feature 8 luxurious seats in Business, 24 extra legroom seats in Premium Economy, and 132 comfortable seats in Economy, offering a wider choice to its guests.

Subtle cabin lighting, spacious legroom and wider pitch, and modern features, like portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports with type A and C options to charge mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets, among others, will contribute significantly to offer guests an inflight experience catering to the needs of today’s discerning flyers. Carpets, curtains, upholstery, and cabin panels will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs reinforcing the brand livery.

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MUMBAI: Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of the Tata group and Singapore Airlines, now offers 20 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi internet connectivity onboard international flights, operated using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A321neo aircraft, across all the three cabins. This initiative makes Vistara the first Indian airline to do so, underscoring its commitment to consistently elevate the travel experience for its customers.

The complimentary 20-minute Wi-Fi access enables customers to stay connected and is also ideal for those who wish to purchase extended Wi-Fi plans using Indian credit/debit cards. This service allows customers to receive one-time passwords via email, facilitating the purchase of extended in-flight Wi-Fi services during the active session.

Vistara’s young and modern fleet features state-of-the-art inflight entertainment (IFE) systems, offering passengers a rich selection of nearly 700 hours of engaging content, including a wide array of movies, TV shows, and audio titles. Additionally, Vistara’s international flights operating on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A321neo offer advanced wireless connectivity powered by Panasonic Avionics, enabling seamless internet access on Wi-Fi-enabled devices at 35,000 feet. Passengers can stay connected and access emails, information, and social media with ease.

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 only Indian carrier to feature amongst the World’s Top 20 Airlines, Vistara has been named ’16th Best Airline’, the second time in a row globally while also being recognized as the ‘Best Airline in India and South Asia’ for the fourth time in a row, ‘Best Airline Staff in India and South Asia’ for the sixth consecutive year, ‘Best Cabin Crew in India and South Asia’ for the fourth time in a row and ‘Best Business Class Airline in India and South Asia’ for the third time in a row at the coveted 2024 World Airline Awards by Skytrax. Vistara has also been recognized with the World’s 4^th Youngest Aircraft Fleet and Asia’s 2^nd Youngest Aircraft Fleet awards in 2024 by ch-aviation.

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