The clock has started ticking for Vistara’s merger with Air India on November 12, and a multi-department war room has been put in place to oversee the integration.

This will include executives from customer service, engineering, in-flight department, operations and others to ensure a smooth transition. “ We have covered all the ground and hope no firefighting will be required,” said a person involved in the merger process

For the past several months, executives from both airlines have been working to ensure all legal and regulatory compliances and that will culminate with the issuance of a revised air operator certificate to Air India. Equity shares will also be issued to Singapore Airlines in the unified airline as it completes its investment for a 25.1 per cent stake in the unified airline.

From Tuesday, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and will bear a four-digit flight number beginning with 2. Menus on domestic routes for both Vistara and Air India-operated aircraft have been aligned. The soft product of the two airlines will be harmonised in a few months.

New management roles 

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan will continue to hold the role of chief integration officer post the merger. Kannan will be part of the management committee and report to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson.

Deepak Rajawat, chief commercial officer of Vistara is moving in as chief financial officer in Air India Express in place of Vikas Agarwal who is taking up a new role in Air India.

Vistara’s HR head Deepa Chadha and its chief information officer Vinod Bhat are taking up roles in other Tata group companies.

Cross-utilisation of pilots, crew, and planes

Air India will begin cross-utilising pilots and cabin crew as the merger takes effect on November 12. Currently, Air India and Vistara pilots operate aircraft of respective airlines. Going forward the aircraft could be manned by either of them. A pilot each from Air India and Vistara could also be paired for flights.

Around 150 Air India cabin crew have been trained with Vistara service procedures and will be deputed on Air India or Vistara aircraft as per requirement. 

The merger will help in cross utilising of planes as well. Vistara Boeing 787 are being readied to operate Air India flights to Frankfurt and Paris as Air India’s own planes are undergoing maintenance, it is learnt.

Air India did not respond to an email.

With inputs from Rohit Vaid in New Delhi

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