Vistara will launch flights to destinations in Europe and Asia in 2020. As a part of their growth strategy, the company will use new aircraft, that will be inducted in January and February next year.

The airline also stated that it needs to partner with other international airlines.

In addition, Vistara has also embarked on a plan to accelerate its frequent flyer programme called ‘Club Vistara’.

The programme would not only be relevant to its members when they fly, but also during their stay at a hotel or even shopping.

“We would like to go medium to long haul as soon as we get the Boeing 787-900 aircraft. We would like to go to London Heathrow as and when we are granted the rights. We do have plans to fly to the US and Australia but that will be in phase II,” Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vistara said at a media round table soon after its first international flight from Delhi landed in Singapore.

During the first phase, the six Boeing 787-900 aircraft that have been purchased by the airline will be used to connect Asia and Europe to India.

Some of these international ambitions could be realised next year as Vistara is to get two Boeing 787-900 aircraft. These aircraft can run for a period of11 hours; i.e it could fly from India to both London and Tokyo effectively .

They also expressed an interest in doing business with Japan.

In 2020, Vistara will also be inducting the Airbus A-321neo (New Engine Option) aircraft. This will enhance operations from Delhi or Mumbai to about seven hours, allowing it to fly as far as Turkey. Ten such aircraft will be delivered over two and half years beginning in first quarter 2020.

The airline has also decided that both the Boeing 787 and Airbus A-321 will have a three class configuration - business, premium economy and economy.

The airline started its first international flight on the Delhi Singapore sector on Tuesday night and will connect Bangkok and Dubai by the end of the month. It is looking to add some more foreign destinations this year.

Vistara’s CEO also said that in about five years, the ratio of flights operated by the airline domestically and internationally would be 50:50.

The airline has seen a jump in its fleet. It expects it to touch 41 by the end of December 2019, from 22 recorded in the end of the previous financial year. “This (the sudden growth in aircraft to 41) was never in the original plan. This symbolises a very aggressive plan we have for both domestic and international markets,” he added.

(This correspondent is in Singapore at the invitation of Vistara Airlines)

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