For consistent, superior flying experience on key routes, Air India to use Vistara planes for flights on 5 metro-to-metro routes

“Such (metro-to-metro) flights volition run with ‘AI’-prefixed four-digit formation numbers opening with ‘2’, specified arsenic AI2999 from Delhi to Mumbai. Air India volition besides optimise formation schedules truthful that formation departures are dispersed retired passim the day, without reducing frequency. Air India present offers much than 1,000 play flights (round trips) connected these cardinal routes: 56x regular connected Delhi-Mumbai, 36x regular connected Delhi-Bengaluru, 24x regular connected Delhi-Hyderabad, 22x regular connected Mumbai-Bengaluru, and 18x regular connected Mumbai-Hyderabad,” Air India said successful a merchandise Wednesday.

On October 24, The Indian Express had reported that Air India planned to minimise the overlap betwixt its older craft and Vistara planes astatine the idiosyncratic way level with large metro-to-metro routes expected to spot deployment of the newer aircraft, portion Air India’s older craft would determination to definite different routes. Sources had said that this was being planned successful a bid to supply certainty to flyers regarding the prime of merchandise they are apt to experience. The thought is to acceptable the customer’s expectations close and connection a accordant merchandise connected that way irrespective of the formation booked.

Although Wednesday’s announcement pertains to home flights, specified an workout is besides successful the works for planetary web of the expanded Air India connected routes wherever some Air India and Vistara operated, it is learnt. Slots astatine definite planetary airports are besides being adjusted accordingly.

“The merger of Vistara into Air India has unlocked galore caller opportunities to amended our lawsuit offering. By combining the strengths of some full-service carriers, we are capable to consolidate our champion narrowbody offering connected routes wherever determination is tendency for a high-frequency, full-service product. We volition progressively grow the sum to much routes arsenic Air India inducts caller craft and completes the retrofit of our bequest narrowbody fleet during 2025,” Air India’s main enforcement serviceman and managing manager Campbell Wilson said Wednesday.

Sources indicated that the merchandise differentiation betwixt Vistara craft and Air India planes is apt to proceed astatine slightest till June, erstwhile the retrofit programme for Air India’s bequest narrow-body fleet is scheduled to beryllium completed. With caller Air India craft coming successful and older craft undergoing refurbishment, Air India volition yet beryllium capable to connection a azygous merchandise crossed its fleet and the planes volition mostly go fungible.

In its astir 10 years of operations, Vistara had made a people for itself arsenic the premier full-service bearer successful India that offered a superior merchandise successful a marketplace dominated by budget carriers. With the Tata radical deciding to merge Vistara into the group’s flagship hose Air India—which the Tatas acquired from the authorities successful January 2022—there were concerns astir Vistara’s merchandise and work prime aft the merger.

Under authorities control, Air India was nether fiscal stress, and this reflected successful its merchandise and work quality, which was seen arsenic beneath the standards expected from a full-service carrier. While the now-privatised hose has undertaken a mammoth fleet modernisation and enlargement plan, it inactive has a ample fig of bequest craft that are successful a rundown state.

The $400-million upgradation of the airline’s full narrow-body fleet started successful September and is expected to beryllium implicit by the mediate of adjacent year. As for its bequest wide-body aircraft—Boeing 787s and 777s—Air India expects their retrofit to commencement aboriginal adjacent year.