Vistara to begin operations from January 9 with fleet of new Airbus A320-200s

Vistara, the joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tata conglomerate, will begin operations from January 9, the airlines said.

Vistara will offer flights to Mumbai and Ahmedabad initially, Tata SIA Airlines said in a statement late on Thursday.

The national capital-based Vistara will start flying with a fleet of new Airbus A320-200s with 148 seats, the airline said.

The announcement comes in the middle of a particularly testing week for the domestic aviation industry, with budget carrier SpiceJet struggling for survival.

Visatara received a flying permit by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on December 15.

The Tata Group and Singapore Airlines announced the plan to launch Vistara on September 19, adding a deep-pocketed player to a fast-growing but competitive domestic aviation sector where most operators lose money.

(Reuters)