NEW DELHI: Vistara, the Tata Group and Singapore International Airline (SIA) joint venture carrier, flew for the last time on Monday, thus marking an end to its glorious nine-year journey. Vistara is now getting merged with Air India, which has ambitions to establish itself as India’s premier full-service airline.
Vistara’s last domestic voyage was a Mumbai-Delhi flight. UK986, an Airbus A321, flew from Mumbai airport at 10.50 pm on November 11, 2024. The airline’s last foreign journey was New Delhi-Singapore flight. UK 115, an Airbus A321 Neo, departed from Delhi at 11.45 pm on Monday.
“Thank you to our 75 million passengers for your support, patronage and touching testimonials. Humbled and honoured to have been part of this team. Onwards and upwards towards our new chapter. The new feeling has a new home,” said Vinod Kannan, CEO at Vistara - TATA SIA Airlines in a LinkedIn post.
Many passengers and former employees associated with Vistara shared their delightful experiences with the airline. “As the sun sets on one of the most loved brands in the country, I wear this Uniform one last time, with a mix of pride and emotions in my heart. In the words of our CEO, “We made a DAMN GOOD AIRLINE”!!!
Goodbye Vistara! You shall be missed dearly....,” wrote Nehal, a pilot with Vistara on X.
Vistara was launched in January 2015. Tata Sons owns a 51% stake with SIA holding the remaining 49%. Vistara’s inaugural flight took off on January 9, 2015, from Delhi to Mumbai. After establishing a strong presence on key metro routes, Vistara expanded to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
In August 2019, Vistara launched its first international flight from Delhi to Singapore. Vistara’s Premium Economy, a rare feature on Indian flights, became popular with corporate travellers. The airline’s focus on premium services, curated meals, personalized entertainment, and spacious seating distinguished it from other carriers.
Due to its strong financial backing, Vistara survived and thrived in the challenging Indian aviation market even as competing airlines such as Jet Airways Go First collapsed.
