IndiGo on Monday bid a heartfelt farewell to rival Vistara as the airline took its final flight before merging with Air India. In a symbolic gesture, IndiGo acknowledged Vistara as an “unforgettable legacy” on social media, emphasising respect despite their past rivalry. As a result of this merger, Air India is set to become a formidable competitor to IndiGo, the budget carrier currently dominating the Indian market.

”As an unforgettable legacy takes its final flight, a new journey on the horizon awaits. Goodbye, @airvistara. Here’s #ToLimitlessPossibilities ahead,” IndiGo wrote on X, along with a video of its final flight.

See the tweet here:

As an unforgettable legacy takes its final flight, a new journey on the horizon awaits. Goodbye, @airvistara. Here’s #ToLimitlessPossibilities ahead. #goIndiGo

Video credits @UtkarshThakkarpic.twitter.com/QAOlNzX5xm

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 11, 2024

The official X handle of Vistara Airlines reacted to the tweet and responded by saying, ”Onward and upward!  Here’s to the future and all the exciting possibilities it holds!”

Several passengers and aviation enthusiasts also reminisced about Vistara’s premium service and significant contributions to Indian aviation. Many shared their favourite memories with the airline and recalled how it felt travelling on its fleet. 

Vistara was launched in 2015 as a joint venture between Tata Sons (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%). This strategic partnership was made possible by the Indian government’s decision, under the UPA administration, to allow foreign airlines to acquire up to 49% stake in domestic airlines.

The merger of Vistara with Air India, part of Tata Group’s strategy to streamline its aviation assets, marks the end of Vistara’s journey, established in partnership with Singapore Airlines.  Going forward, Vistara’s routes and fleet will be incorporated into the Air India brand, with Singapore Airlines holding a 25.1% stake in the merged entity, India’s largest international carrier.​

Vistara was merged with Air India on Monday night, and from Tuesday onwards, the Vistara flight code will change from ‘UK’ to ‘AI2XXX’. The in-flight experience on Vistara’s fleet will remain unchanged, but customers will now have access to Air India’s expanded network and services.

With this merger, the number of full-service carriers has dropped to one from five in the past 17 years. Over the past years, airlines such as Kingfisher, Air Sahara, rebranded as JetLite and Jet Airways have been grounded due to financial trouble and various other reasons.

 

Mumbai:

A 51-year-old passenger was arrested for smoking in the lavatory of a flight during his journey from Muscat to Mumbai, an official said today.

The incident occurred on board Vistara’s UK234 flight, which took off from Muscat for the Maharashtra capital at 11.56 pm on Monday, he said.

The passenger, Balakrishna Rajayan, who was on board the flight, went to the lavatory at the rear side of the aircraft and smoked a cigarette, the official said.

Rajayan hails from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, he said.

The incident came to light when the pilot of the aircraft noticed it with the help of a smoke detector, he added.

The pilot informed the crew members about it, following which they checked the lavatory and found a cigarette bud in the wash basin, the official said.

After the flight landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday morning, the crew members informed the security supervisor on the ground about the unruly behaviour of the passenger, he said.

The security officials then took the passenger to their office and enquired about his act. He admitted that he had smoked inside the lavatory, he said, adding that Rajayan also produced a matchbox used for lighting the cigarette.

He was later taken to the Sahar police station in the city, where a complaint was filed against him by the security supervisor.

As per the complaint, Rajayan had deliberately violated the safety-related rules by smoking inside the plane, putting all the travellers of the flight at risk.

A case was registered against the passenger under section 336 (act of endangering life or personal safety of others) of Indian Penal Code and section 25 of the Aircraft Rules, he said.

Probe into the case is underway, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Full service carrier Vistara will start direct flights between the national capital and Hong Kong from October 29.

In a statement on Friday, the airline said it will operate A321 neo aircraft featuring a three-class configuration on the route.

“With the addition of Hong Kong, we are now able to offer our customers direct connectivity to and from three of the world’s top financial centres, the others being London and Singapore,” Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said.

A joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, Vistara currently has a fleet of 61 aircraft, including 46 Airbus A320neo, 10 Airbus A321 and 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)