The first international flight after the merger of Air India and Vistara, AI2286, took off from Doha to reach Mumbai. This flight took off from Doha at around 10:07 pm, local time on Monday and completed the journey in approximately 3 hours. The first domestic flight under the merger, AI2984, departed Mumbai for Delhi at 1:30 am on Tuesday. Notably, the last flight under Vistara’s banner took off from Odisha’s Biju Patnaik international airport to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi international airport. On Monday, ground staff and crew members at Odisha’s Biju Patnaik international airport emotionally bid adieu to the Vistara.

As we bid farewell to an era, let’s have a look at the history and timeline of Vistara.

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Vistara Merger: History And Timeline

The name “Vistara” originates from the Sanskrit term “Vistaar”, signifying infinite expansion and boundless possibilities.

Vistara was the result of a strategic partnership between Tata Sons Private Limited (51%) and Singapore Airlines Limited (49%). In 2013, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines joined hands to create a premium airline, with the aim to elevate air travel in India. With the nationalisation of Tata Airlines (now Air India), the Tata group, had long harboured ambitions to return to the aviation industry.

The Tata group and Singapore Airlines, previously attempted market entry through a 1994 joint venture and a 2000 bid to acquire Air India stakes. Tata and Singapore Airlines reinitiated their collaboration efforts after the foreign investment restrictions were lifted in 2012, finally gaining regulatory approval in October 2013. Afterwards, TATA SIA Airlines Limited, the holding company of Vistara, was born on November 5, 2013.

Vistara officially launched its operations on January 9, 2015, with its inaugural flight connecting Delhi and Mumbai. Vistara commenced its international operations, with a flight from Delhi to Singapore, in August 2019.

At the time of merger, Vistara’s extensive network spans more than 50 destinations globally, with over 300 daily flights operated by its fleet of more than 65 aircraft. Vistara had achieved a remarkable milestone, carrying over 50 million passengers since its inception till its merger.

On January 27, 2022, the Tata group successfully completed the acquisition of Air India. To optimize resources and eliminate redundancies, the Tata group chose to consolidate Vistara into Air India, streamlining operations on common routes. Despite its success in India, Vistara lacked global recognition, whereas Air India enjoyed a strong brand presence among international customers and the Indian diaspora. This was also a potential reason for the Air India and Vistara merger.