It's been a year since Vistara is known to the French public with his arrival at Parisoffering an alternative to Air India and Air France. The private airline, the result of a joint venture between the Indian group Tata Sons (51% of the shares) and Singapore Airlines (49%), has managed to establish itself as a model of quality in India since its creation in 2015.
Vistara has, since its creation, transported 35 million passengers with a fleet of 52 devices. Present on the Paris CDG-Delhi route, last August the carrier increased the number of frequencies between the two cities from 2 to 3. 5 weekly flights at Dreamliner B787. Vistara is also landing in Europe at Frankfurt and London.
But the return of Tata Sons to the capital of Air India last January heralded a possible merger between the two carriers.
An Indian giant on international routes
The announcement of the merger of Air India and Vistara was completed on 29 November by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons. The future entity will be India's largest international airline and second largest domestic airline - including AirAsia India and Air India Express, both owned by Tata.
Together, Air India (including Air India Express and AirAsia India) and Vistara have a fleet of 218 wide-body and single-aisle aircraft.. They serve 38 international destinations and 52 domestic destinations.
As part of this operation, SIA to invest US$250 million in Air India. The Singapore carrier will thus acquire a stake in the new Air India. This represents a share of 25.1 %. This will give SIA a significant presence in the fast-growing Indian market. The merger will give SIA the opportunity tooperate a network centred around multi-hubs. Not only to Singapore, but also Delhi and Bombay.
SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate in additional capital injections, if required, to fund the growth and operations of the enlarged Air India in the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24.
SIA and Tata Sons plan to complete the merger by March 2024subject to regulatory approval.
