Although Tata-owned Vistara airline is soon to be merged with Air India, the airline continues to expand its operations. From expanding its flight fleet to expanding air services on international routes, Vistara continues to soar. Today, full-service carrier Vistara said it will start daily direct flights between Mumbai and Dammam from March 1 as it continues to expand international services. A320 Neo aircraft will be deployed for services on this route. In a statement, the airline also said it will resume operations between Mumbai and Colombo with daily flights from March 1 after a gap of nearly three years.
“We are excited to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia with the addition of Dammam as the second city in the Kingdom after Jeddah. An integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, Dammam is a key administrative destination that serves as the largest port in the Gulf. and some of the major business headquarters,” said Vinod Kannan, CEO of Vistara.
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On Tuesday, Kannan said the airline will continue to expand and is expected to have a total of 70 aircraft by mid-2024. He had said, “The percentage of capacity deployed internationally has gone up. We have 25-30 per cent deployment internationally… This is very positive and a game changer for us.”
Vistara CEO told a briefing that out of a total of 70 aircraft, 10 are A321 and 53 are A320neo, as well as 7 Boeing 787. Of the 53 A320 Neos, 10 aircraft will be all economy class and the rest will have three classes. Currently, the airline has a fleet of 53 aircraft.
“We will continue to expand… and international routes will be added,” Kannan said. According to him, there are constraints in terms of traffic rights and slots.
(With inputs from PTI)