Indian carrier, Vistara, is set to increase its frequencies on routes between London Heathrow and Delhi. From 2 April, Vistara will offer six weekly flights, taking off every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
International expansion
Vistara has seen a rapid expansion of its services in the past few years, currently operating 250 daily flights to 42 destinations across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The carrier has seen a big boost from “air transport bubbles” between India and European destinations, operating flights between London, Frankfurt, and, most recently, Paris. The carrier is likely to benefit from European sanctions on Russian airspace as it does not need to reroute any current flight paths, saving on flight time and increasing demand.
India will terminate its air bubbles from 27 March, opening the country to all international carriers and expanding Vistara’s presence further.
Vistara is expected to launch direct flights between the United States and India in the coming months, pending FAA approval and the delivery of four outstanding Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The carrier has already received approval from the Department of Transport.
Word from the airline
Speaking of the airline’s latest successes, CEO Vinod Kannan has said:
“Our achievements are a testament to the trust that millions of passenger’s place in us on every flight, every day. Vistara entered the aviation market at a time when many in India believed that there was no place for another full-service airline, and yet, in a remarkably short span of time, it became ‘India’s best airline’. This success is a direct result of the incredible passion and dedication of our colleagues in everything they do, regardless of the circumstances. All of us at Vistara are truly grateful to our customers, partners and shareholders who have supported this dream of building a world-class airline that India can be proud of.”
Growth for Vistara
The young airline recently celebrated its seventh birthday, welcoming over 30 million passengers in that time. Vistara has managed to bounce back from the pandemic quite quickly, retaining all staff members, doubling its market share, and adding additional aircraft to its fleet.
Vistara’s current fleet is expected to grow even further throughout the year, aiming to expand from 51 to 70. It currently operates a mix of Boeing and Airbus narrowbodies for its short-haul routes and two 787s for international operations.
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It looks to be an exciting year for the carrier, which is optimistic about its post-pandemic future and the aviation industry as a whole. Kannan explained his upbeat attitude to Indo-Asian News Service:
“Confidence in air travel had been steadily growing over the latter half of 2021, resulting in a consistent return of demand, specifically in the domestic market. We observed a gradual return of demand in international travel too. With more international markets opening up to vaccinated travellers and reducing the requirements around pre departure and post arrival testing, we expect that things will gather momentum on international leisure and slowly, international corporate travel too.”
What do you think of Vistara’s new routes? Will you be flying to Delhi this year? Let us know in the comments section.