Vistara bookings to stop from next week onwards, merger with Air India from 12 Nov

Indian full-service airline Vistara will merge into Tata-owned Air India on November 12. Singapore Airlines said on Friday that it has received the Indian government's nod for foreign direct investment as part of the Air India-Vistara merger. Vistara is a joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airlines (SIA). After the merger, SIA will acquire a 25.1% stake in Air India. The proposed merger was announced in November 2022, and The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved it in June this year.

On August 10, both airlines secured the CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) 145 approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to integrate their aircraft line maintenance operations.

According to Tata SIA Airlines Ltd, the customers will not be able to make bookings with Vistara starting from September 3 onwards. "Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024," the company said.

However, Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024. Air India will operate all Vistara aircraft. The bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer of Vistara, said in an official statement, "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."

"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," Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, of Air India, said.