Premium airline Vistara is planning to add a dozen more planes next year. The company is looking to take its overall fleet to 42 by the end of March 2020. Vistara right now has an overall fleet of 36, and by the end of March, it's aiming to make it 42. According to a report by Livemint, Vistara is looking to induct Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner) and Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft to its overall fleet. The international airline is looking to use the Boeing 787-9 for long-duration travels, while the Airbus A320 and A321 will operate between short & medium durations. Overall, Vistara is looking to utilise the aircraft for both domestic and international operations.
Vistara to Add Dozen More Aircrafts Next Year
According to the Vistara's chief executive Leslie Thng, the airline is looking to create a unique “hub-and-spoke" arrangement between its domestic and international operations. Vistara is expected to take delivery of two Boeing Dreamliner by the end of March post which it will start medium and long duration international services. Vistara is looking to expand its international presence by adding flight services to Europe, London and Japan in 2020 with the help of a few dozen new planes that it will add.
“Domestic operations play two roles for us. One is catering to the full-service demand and second is catering to international operations, especially on the wide-body. Other airlines will not be able to replicate this in India as they focus on a mix (of) nationalities. But, our product is primarily for Indians," Thng said in an interview with Livemint.
Vistara Aims for Strong International Presence by the End of 2020
Vistara is not only looking to bolster its domestic services as the airline is rapidly expanding international presence as well. As you might be aware of, Vistara has a code-sharing agreement with Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Lufthansa group. “We are not going to fly to a dozen destinations in Europe overnight. So we would need partners that will be able to give us connectivity," Thng further added.
As for the current fleet count of Vistara, it has nine Boeing 737-800NG and 26 Airbus A320 which takes the overall count to 36. By the end of March 2020, Vistara will have 42 aircrafts under its fleet adding six more to the tally. Vistara is jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines Limited, for the unaware.
