Indian full-service carrier Vistara hopes to take advantage to changes in air service regulations to launch international flights within the next year, its chief strategy and commercial officer, Sanjiv Kapoor, confirmed during a panel discussion at the Routes Asia Strategy Summit in Okinawa, Japan earlier today.
Huge aircraft orders, the removal of dated regulations and a growing middle class who are eager to travel are all helping to bring India to the forefront of the aviation market. Passenger numbers are growing at a faster rate than the rest of the world, as India is on course to become the largest market by 2030.
Delivering on a brand promise of “a world class flying experience” Vistara is the first full service carrier in India to introduce a ‘Premium Economy’ class to the domestic market. It will configure its A320s in a 148-seat arrangement with 16 seats in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy and 96 in Economy Class.
The start-up has bold ambitions to set a new industry benchmark for others to follow in India. It will initially launch operations from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport serving a mixture of metros and non-metros markets where there is a clear demand for a full-service carrier.
