Vistara, an Indian airline, has announced that its Delhi to Heathrow daily schedule would be extended even further. From May 1, both cities will be connected by a daily aircraft that departs at 22:05 IST for London and 14:40 GMT for return to Delhi.
The news comes as no surprise to the airline, which is already looking to expand internationally. Vistara presently flies to over 45 locations, with foreign flights accounting for a quarter of its capacity, which Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan intends to increase to 35 percent within the next two years.
Kannan told Reuters that he would like to start flights to South Korea, Japan, and the United States (which is currently awaiting FAA approval). However, a delay in the delivery of its last four Boeing 787 Dreamliners might stymie that expansion. Kannan added, "A lot of the long haul depends on aircraft availability. This is the time to capitalise, especially with India opening up international travel. With fuel prices where they are, we have to think twice in terms of whether we need to bring on those additional aircraft. But we know that not just the U.S., but all these long-haul points are important."
Speaking to The Hindu earlier this month, a spokesperson for Vistara said, “The demand across the network has been encouraging, especially on long–haul routes, and we are exploring possibilities to serve our customer better by adding more flights in the coming months.”
