Vistara Grows Wings: TATA-SIA JV Finally Takes Off
Vistara Grows Wings: TATA-SIA JV Finally Takes Off
Of late, SpiceJet has been facing troubles of its own and the aviation industry has been facing quite a few issues too. But there is a silver lining in the dark cloud for air travellers who want more choices. TATA SIA joint venture Vistara is all set to commence operations soon. The DGCA or Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday, 15th December gave Vistara the air operator permit or license to fly. Vistara will now be the third full service airline after Air India and Jet.
Of Flights and Fleets
Vistara’s approval came during the period when SpiceJet has been struggling to retain operability and cut flight and fleets causing a surge in fares. TATA SIA JV Vistara will take the edge off the supply crunch in the coming months. It will also give global options for travellers for the government to relax norms for Indian carriers flying abroad.
Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh has been quoted as saying "All our energies now are going to be concentrated towards fulfilling the Vistara brand promise. Our focus on customer service excellence coupled with unique product offerings will ensure seamless travel experience to our customers." Leading media dailies such as ET have reported that Vistara will soon start on its sales, routes and schedules.
The chairman of Vistara, Prasad Menon has said, "We are aware of the expectations we have to live up to and look forward to shaping a success story in Indian Aviation with the realisation of this dream." The JV aims to "set new standards in the aviation industry in India.”
A Start After Some Delays
The TATA SIA JV had planned to start operations by September or October this year. It has received the aviation ministry’s NOC and applied for license since April 24th 2014. Finally, the airline is set to start operations.
About Vistara
The airline was born with an initial investment of USD 100 million with plans to have around 20 aircrafts within a period of 5 years. This includes 7 A320 planes and 13 A320 Neos. The JV will connect the hub of the capital city to important India cities and metros within 4 years of its launch.
TATA SIA’s JV will have around 87 weekly flights from Delhi to around 9 cities including Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Srinagar and Patna. The weekly flights will rise to around 300 in the fourth year and the destinations will also expand every year in a phased manner.
Initially, Vistara will have flights to Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The full service airline is a 51:49 joint venture between TATA Sons and Singapore Airlines. The airline opened its bookings on 18th December 2014 at 22:30 hours for customers. Vistara will operate 148 seater Airbus A320-200 with 16 seats for business class, 36 in the premium economy and 96 in economy.
Visitor’s technology partners include TCS, Wipro and Amadeus who will manage its customer support system and IT services.
