Vistara starts direct flights between Pune and Singapore

 

• Last month, Vistara said it would operate six flights per week between Delhi and Frankfurt

Vistara, India's full-service carrier has launched direct flights between Pune and Singapore. According to the Gurugram-headquartered company, the airline will operate 4x weekly flights on this route.

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said, “We are excited to be able to connect Pune and Singapore – two cities that were not directly connected until now. There is a growing demand for air travel between the two cities, especially from corporate travelers. "

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flagged off the inaugural flight.

Last month, Vistara increased the frequency of flights from Delhi to Frankfurt and Paris after inducting a third Boeing 787-9 aircraft in its fleet.

The airline said it will operate six flights per week between Delhi and Frankfurt, while flights on the Delhi-Paris route will increase to five times per week.

Vistara added these flights as its third Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner recently joined the fleet. The aircraft has been customized and comes with a three-class cabin configuration. It has 30 seats in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy Class and 226 in Economy Class.

The airline has a fleet of 54 aircraft, including 41 Airbus A320s, five Airbus A321 Neos, 5 Boeing 737-800NG and 3 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

Meanwhile, Tata Sons plans to merge its Air India with Vistara, which it runs jointly with Singapore Airlines.

The country's oldest and largest conglomerate said the merger would strengthen Singapore Airlines' position in India's fast-growing aviation market.

As part of the deal, Singapore Airlines is investing $250 million in Air India, giving it a 25.1% stake in the group, with the remaining stake to be held by the Tata group. In its statement, Singapore Airlines said the two companies aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

By acquiring Air India, the Tatas absorbed nearly a quarter of its debt burden of over $8.2 billion.

Between them, Air India and Vistara have 218 aircraft serving 38 international and 52 domestic routes. The merger will make Air India the only carrier in the country to have full service and low cost passenger services.