Vistara has today announced a second London route, due to begin in January, using its shiny new 787-9 Dreamliner. The airline has already been operating flights from Delhi to London Heathrow under the bilateral travel bubble agreement and, from January 16th, will also begin flying from Mumbai to the UK capital.

Vistara adds more London flights

Indian airline Vistara is clearly pleased with the performance of its first Dreamliner route to London from Delhi because from January, it will be adding a second route to the UK capital. From January 16th, 2021, Vistara will begin flying from Mumbai to London Heathrow under the bilateral air bubble agreement between the UK and India.

Currently, the airline is operating a four times a week schedule to London Heathrow from Delhi. Flights are not ‘scheduled’ as such, as they are only operating under the Vande Bharat mission, which is focused on repatriation. Nevertheless, tickets are for sale in both directions.

From January, the service will be bolstered by a three times a week service from Mumbai. Speaking about the new service, CEO of Vistara Leslie Thng commented,

"We are delighted at the very positive response to our service between Delhi and London Heathrow which has encouraged us to further strengthen the network by adding connectivity from Mumbai as we see considerable demand between the two countries, and remain optimistic about the future."

The new flights will be operating using the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, under flight numbers UK 011 and UK 012. Both outbound and inbound services will fly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to the following schedule:

Source: Vistara

In terms of cost, the airline says that round-trip, all-inclusive fares will start at INR 46,799 ($633) from Mumbai, and from the UK at £439 ($585). Scheduled passenger services remain blocked, and have been since March, with the latest update suggesting no review will be made until the New Year. These services are being operated under the ‘bubble’ agreement that has been in place since July.

Flying Vistara’s Dreamliner

Although the reasons for travel between the UK and India are still very limited, there’s not many better ways to make the trip, if you are able, than Vistara’s new Dreamliner. Equipped with three classes of travel, including India’s first premium economy product, it’s a comfortable aircraft well suited to the long flight.

Up in business class, seats have 44” of pitch, converting to a fully flat bed of 76”. Seats are equipped with an 18” HD inflight entertainment screen. In premium economy, seats have a generous 38” of pitch and come with a six-way adjustable headrest and a calf and footrest too. Back in economy, the six-way headrest makes another appearance, and passengers can enjoy 31” pf pitch. All classes have access to inflight WiFi.

As with all Dreamliners, Vistara’s has the usual benefits such as mood lighting, dimmable windows and comfortable pressurization. Vistara is the first Indian airline to operate the 787-9, and with the addition of a second London service, more keen travelers can enjoy the experience.