NEW DELHI: Air India on Wednesday said that flights operated with Vistara aircraft will use flight numbers starting with the prefix ‘AI2’ following the merger scheduled for November 12.
The airline, owned by the Tata Group, also assured that the crew and services will continue to operate as before, and the Vistara experience will be maintained post-merger.
An Air India spokesperson said that the teams of Air India and Vistara have been working for over a year to ensure that the merger of the entities is seamless for both customers and staff.
“Though the legal entities and Air Operator Certificates will become one on 12 November, the Vistara experience will remain. Vistara aircraft, crew and service will continue to operate as before, but with AI2XXX flight numbers bookable via airindia.com,” the spokesperson told PTI.
This merger between Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, and Air India will represent a significant consolidation in the Indian aviation industry, after the integration of AIX Connect with Air India Express.
Concerns have emerged in some quarters about whether Vistara passengers will continue to receive the same level of service after the merger, as Air India, currently undergoing a transformation, has faced certain service issues in recent times.
Air India’s airline code is ‘AI’ and that of Vistara is ‘UK’, the latter will fly into the sunset after the merger. Among other elements, Vistara’s catering is being extended to Air India.
According to the Air India spokesperson, its narrow-body fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered and legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors.
The Air India-Vistara merger, proclaimed in November 2022, will also see Singapore Airlines acquiring a 25.1 per cent stake in the merged entity.