NEW DELHI: Air India on Friday said that after the merger, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and will be identified by a special four-digit Air India code beginning with the digit “2”.
In a statement, it informed that for instance, UK 955 will become AI 2955, helping customers identify them while booking on Air India’s website after November 12. The routes and schedule operated by Vistara aircraft will continue to be the same, alongside the Vistara in-flight experience that includes the product and service such as menu and cutlery on the Vistara aircraft. It will also be serviced by the same crew.
The existing members of Club Vistara will be seamlessly transferred to Air India’s Flying Returns programme. With this merger, flying returns will also evolve into an all-new avatar, ‘Maharaja Club’.
Vistara, the joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), will formally merge with Air India on November 12, 2024. In parallel, Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded, with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara’s catering now also extended to Air India. Air India’s widebody fleet has also been augmented with the entry of six A350 aircraft that have started to fly between Delhi and London and will soon operate between Delhi and New York.
Air India has started its retrofit program, with the first A320neo narrow body aircraft going for retrofit in early September. 27 narrow body legacy aircraft will be totally refurbished and retrofitted and this retrofit is likely to be completed by the middle of 2025.
The airline, through a multi-media campaign, also pointed out that the unified Air India opens up limitless possibilities for passengers, including unparalleled connection to over 90 domestic and international destinations and over 800 more destinations through codeshare and interline partners. (ANI)