Vistara might be able to begin its first flight to the US with a one-stop flight. The possibility has been created after Vistara secured slots to connect New Delhi to Newark via London Gatwick as per the recent reports. The airline has Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner under its wings capable of non-stop flights between the US and India and might be deployed on the route if the plan goes into execution.
Why Vistara is Planning a One-Stop Flight
As per the reports from PaxEx. Aero, Vistara is eyeing a possible route between Delhi and Newark via London. The latest regulatory slot filings at London’s Gatwick Airport indicate the Delhi-Gatwick-Newark route for Vistara. However, only an official announcement can confirm any speculation.
Despite having carriers capable of non-stop flights between the US and India, Vistara might still be looking for a one-stop flight the reason being Vistara’s 787-9 airplanes have limited crew facilities for a long flight. Hence a stopover city would come in handy for the airlines to swap crew over for the onward flight to Newark.
Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how the airline performs if this route is activated as there is already a number of non-stop flights between the US and India. Air India, which currently has the most flights between the two countries also added two more flights recently. United Airlines also offers various direct flights from Delhi to Newark, Chicago, and San Francisco, and American Airlines is expected to jump into the competition very soon.
It wouldn’t be the first long-haul route for the airlines. They have already manifested into many long-haul destinations. In the past couple of years, they have already expanded their network to London, Tokyo, Dubai, and more. Coming November, the airlines will also add Paris as one of its destinations.
In the April of this year, Vistara filed with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for permission to run flights to the United States. The airlines received tentative approval in June which was confirmed in August so as to initiate operations in the US. Vistara was eyeing to begin its US operations by September but the plan was delayed due to covid restrictions and norms.
