Special flight code to help passengers identify Vistara flights post merger with Air India | Business News

“For instance, UK 955 (UK is the current airline identifier code for Vistara flights) will become AI 2955, helping customers identify them while booking,” Air India said.

Air India also announced that following the airlines’ merger, which will also include the merger of their loyalty programmes, the combined loyalty programme will evolve into an all new avatar under the brand ‘Maharaja Club’ — a reference to the Air India’s popular long-standing mascot. Initially, all members of the Club Vistara loyalty programme will be seamlessly transferred to Air India’s loyalty programme Flying Returns.

In its nearly 10 years of operations, Vistara had made a mark for itself as the premier full-service carrier in India that offered a superior product in a market dominated by budget carriers. With the Tata group deciding to merge Vistara into the group’s flagship airline Air India–which the Tatas acquired from the government in January 2022–there were concerns about Vistara’s product and service quality after the merger.

Under government control, Air India was under financial stress, and this reflected in its product and service quality, which was seen as below the standards expected from a full-service carrier. While the now-privatised airline has undertaken a mammoth fleet modernisation and expansion plan, it still has a large number of legacy aircraft that are in a rundown state.

“The routes and schedule operated by Vistara aircraft will continue to be the same, alongside the Vistara in-flight experience that includes the product and service such as menu and cutlery on the Vistara aircraft. It will also be serviced by the same crew,” Air India said.

“In parallel, Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara’s catering now also extended to Air India,” the airline added.

The wheels for the merger were set in motion in 2022 after the Tata group acquired Air India from the government. As a joint venture partner in Vistara, Singapore Airlines holds 49 per cent stake in the airline and will have 25.1 per cent stake in the enlarged Air India after the merger.

Apart from merging Air India and Vistara, the Tata group had decided to merge its budget carriers Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India). That merger took effect from October 1. Once the Air India-Vistara merger is complete, the Air India group will have a full-service carrier Air India and a low-cost airline Air India Express. The consolidation is a critical part of Air India’s transformation programme Vihaan.Ai, that seeks to build Air India into an airline of global repute.