Air India & Vistara Will Have Distinct Airline Codes As They Adjust Routes

Air India has disclosed that after its upcoming merger with Vistara is finalized in a few weeks’ time, passengers will still be able to book flights on the latter airline since the former’s booking engine will display a different flight code for Vistara-operated flights.

Operating flights under a different code

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Air India said that with the two carriers’ merger being on the horizon and the consequent changes, it wanted to assure travelers that Vistara’s passenger experience will stay post-merger.

“You can continue to enjoy the same world-class fleet, exceptional service, and familiar faces under the new code AI 2XXX.”

Currently, Air India’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) code AI means that the airline’s flights are marketed as AI 123, for example. As a result, Vistara-operated itineraries will have the flight code AI 2123, for instance.

As a part of the larger transformation journey, passengers would be able to discover even more things to love with a wider network, enhanced benefits, and “a world of endless possibilities,” Air India added.

At the same time, the to-be surviving entity said that travelers would still enjoy “the unified Air India experience delivered by the combined team.”

Air India and Vistara announced their merger in November 2022, with Tata Sons, the then-new owners of Air India following its privatization in January 2022, reaching a deal with Singapore Airlines, which has been a minority stakeholder and a co-founder of Vistara.

Keeping an economic interest in Air India

In November 2022, Singapore Airlines also issued a statement about the merger, with the airline announcing that it would invest INR20.5 billion ($243.8 million, at the time announced as $250 million) into Air India in exchange for a 25.1% stake in the Air India group.

At the time, Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons agreed to inject further capital into Air India to fund the growth and operations of the enlarged group in FY2022/23 (ended on March 31, 2023) and FY2023/2024 (ended on March 31, 2024).

“Through this transaction, SIA will reinforce its partnership with Tata and immediately acquire a strategic stake in an entity that is four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara. The merger would bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in a large and fast-growing aviation market.”

Goh Choon Phong, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Singapore Airlines, said at the time that Tata Sons was one of the most respected names in India, and the pair’s collaboration had resulted in Vistara becoming a market-leading full-service carrier.

The merger provided an opportunity to develop the Singaporean carrier’s relationship with Tata Sons while also enabling Singapore Airlines to more directly participate in India’s ever-growing aviation market, Phong added.

Vistara’s last days

Nevertheless, in February 2023, Air India confirmed that it would discontinue the Vistara brand.

Campbell Wilson, who was hired as the CEO of Air India following its privatization, told reporters that while Vistara has been a strong brand in the domestic market, internationally, Air India was the stronger brand with a 90-year history.

“So, the future full-service carrier will be called Air India, but we would like to retain and celebrate some of the Vistara heritage in that new manifestation.”

The two airlines are scheduled to complete their merger on November 11, with Vistara’s page about the deal informing passengers that since early September, they would have progressively been unable to book its flights for travel dates on or after November 12.

For flights after November 11, Vistara referred its passengers to Air India and its booking system.