It is almost ironic that of all the people, an extremely nervous and anxious flier like myself got the opportunity to witness the grand launch of airline Vistara’s Retrojet. A joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, Vistara rolled out the Airbus A320neo with a unique retro-livery (paint scheme) a first of its kind in India, to celebrate 150 years of Tata Sons and their founder JRD Tata — the scion from one of India’s most prolific families, and a gentleman who earned the moniker — the father of Indian civil aviation.
Making history
My journey entailed flying from Delhi to Goa, and then back from Goa to Delhi to get a wholesome experience of the retro flight — everything from food to hospitality. Having never flown Vistara before, I was excited for what the airlines had in store — after all, they were celebrating not just 150 years of Tata Sons, but the 86th anniversary of Tata Air Services, India’s very first airline. That aircraft was piloted by JRD Tata himself and was the first to fly from Karachi to Mumbai via Ahmedabad, in 1932, on a single-engine Puss Moth, carrying a load of airmail. It was this flight that was later renamed in 1946 as Air India after the brand was nationalised.
As I read up about this vintage airline and its rich history, I landed in Delhi from Chennai, on a rainy February morning where I was welcomed by the staff who deliberately chose a bus gate for the aircraft, rather than an aerobridge just so that we can get a good look of the aircraft’s exterior before boarding. While the original VT-ATV aircraft read Tata Airlines on its fuselage, Vistara’s VT-ATV reads Tata Sia Airlines, which is the airline’s registered name. We are also told that the metallic look is painted with a special coating, which, with the right lighting, gives it an old-world sepia tone.
The first thing that will catch your eye is the crew wearing the vintage Tata uniforms in lilac and lavender. These are interpretations of the original outfits from 1950, which were recreated for the occasion. The interiors of the flight are a visual splendour, and the smooth blend between lilac and lavender lights has a calming effect on the nervous flier in me.
The Vistara Premium Economy is a balance between the Economy class and the Business class, but the premium has a tinge of Business class with its ample legroom and well-padded seats. As we prepare for takeoff, Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine comes on, and plays for the duration of the takeoff and the journey. The playlist extends to other popular tracks from the ’60s, a selection of music I’ve never really heard on flights before.
Playing favourites
The air hostess takes this as the perfect cue to roll out the meals. The menu is a selection of JRD Tata’s favourite dishes — cheddar cheese and onion omelette, crêpe au champignon, Waldorf salad, minestrone soup, herb roasted chicken, a Goan prawn curry and creme caramel. This French touch to the menu seemed fitting, considering JRD Tata was born in France and spent many years living there.
Food matters
For breakfast, you can choose between a masala omelette served with a chicken cheese croquette and ratatouille, matar paneer bhurji and a molaga podi upma. You can also get a steaming cuppa of Starbucks India’s estate blend for flights above 90 minutes. For mains, there’s stuffed chicken with roast potatoes.