Vistara has quickly grown its operations in the last year, adding an array of new international destinations. As the carrier takes delivery of more Boeing 787-9s, it is considering further expanding its operations to London and even flying to the US. Let's find out more about Vistara's expansion plans.

What's next?

While the first half of the year saw slower growth, Vistara has scaled up operations quickly in the last few months. The carrier inaugurated its long-haul service from Delhi to London Heathrow in August, while adding several medium-haul routes, such as Doha and Dhaka as well.

Vistara is one of the few carriers which does not have plans to defer further deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners, with plans to take delivery of all six by 2021. Until now, the carrier has taken delivery of two aircraft and two more are waiting for delivery in Boeing facilities, according to Planespotters.net.

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Vistara is also continuing to take delivery of narrowbody aircraft like the A320neo and A321neo, with plans to have an overall fleet of 70 aircraft by 2023. The airline's A321neos are notable since they offer lie-flat seating in business class, the first in India.

US flights on the horizon

While Vistara may have just started long-haul flights, it is already considering services to the US. Air India and United are the only carriers operating direct flights from India to the US, which means there is space in the market for more competition. Vistara's Dreamliner's do have the range to reach the most popular destinations on the East Coast and beyond, such as New York or Chicago.

Vistara also noted that the pandemic has made direct flights more attractive to passengers. However has been quiet about details of any US expansion, not wanting to get ahead of themselves just yet. The earliest we could expect direct flights would likely be mid-2021 or later.

Doubling down on London

Last week, Vistara announced that it would begin a new route from Mumbai to London Heathrow on January 16th, 2021. The twice-weekly service will mark the airline's second route to the British capital and will be flown by the 787. The decision to expand services comes after a positive response on the Delhi route and high demand expected in the future.

The airline also has plans to gradually make its Delhi-London flights a daily service, challenging other airlines on the route. For now, Vistara is wasting no time in grabbing as many opportunities as it can. While the pandemic is hurting demand, the carrier will see more passengers once a vaccine is widely available.

What do you think about Vistara's plans? Will the carrier succeed on long-haul routes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!