First unified Air India-Vistara flight departs from Doha

Mumbai: The newly integrated Air India-Vistara entity's first flight took off from Doha to Mumbai on Monday (11 Nov) night. Operating under the flight code 'AI2286,' it departed Doha at approximately 9:45 pm IST, arriving in Mumbai early Tuesday (12 Nov) morning at 4:12 am IST. 

This marks the inaugural international flight for the merged airline.

On the domestic front, the newly merged Air India-Vistara entity's first scheduled flight, AI2984, departed from Mumbai to Delhi at approximately 1:30 am on Tuesday, landing at 3:35 am. Operated with an A320 aircraft, this flight and other former Vistara routes are now designated with 'AI2XXX' codes, allowing passengers to easily identify Vistara flights post-merger, according to news agency.

Earlier, a source said AI2286 from Doha to Mumbai was the first flight to be operated by the merged entity, news agency reported.

According to information from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, the flight, being operated with an A321 aircraft, departed from Doha at around 10.07 pm local time.

The duration of the flight is nearly three hours.
The integration of Vistara with Air India, both part of Tata Group, marks a major consolidation in the country's civil aviation space.

Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines. Post-merger, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 per cent stake in the enlarged Air India.

During the last day, Vistara pilots made in-flight announcements about the merger and said passengers could continue to enjoy the familiar Vistara experience on the Air India aircraft.

Meanwhile, sharing a short video of a Vistara aircraft taxiing for take-off on X, the country's largest IndiGo bid goodbye to the airline.

"As an unforgettable legacy takes its final flight, a new journey on the horizon awaits. Goodbye, @airvistara. Here's #ToLimitlessPossibilities ahead. #goIndiGo," the airline said in a post.

-B