ADVERTISEMENT

Air India-Vistara Merger: Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan Asks Employees To Not Worry About Their Future

After the merger announcement, CEO Vinod Kannan assured employees that they need not worry about their future and job security.

<div class="paragraphs"><p>Source: Daniel Eledut on Unsplash&nbsp;</p></div>
Source: Daniel Eledut on Unsplash 

Vistara CEO Assures Employees That They Need Worry About The Future

Soon after news broke out that Vistara Airlines and Air India will be merging into a single airline company, Vistara's CEO Vinod Kannan said that it would be business as usual for all stakeholders during the integration period. In a statement, the CEO said that Vistara is a fine manifestation of its parent brands Tata and Singapore Airlines and that they are delighted that they would continue to be guided by the legacy of the parent brands.

"I urge you not to worry and speculate about your future. We remain an integral part of the aviation footprint of our shareholders and this does not change - regardless of the AOC we ascribe to. The integration process will take some time, and during this phase, it will be business as usual for all our stakeholders, including customers. We will continue to share relevant information with all of them, as appropriate. We remain committed to the growth, fleet and expansion plans that we had charted out - plans that see us going from the current 54-aircraft fleet to 70 by the end of 2023. This will continue and we will progressively introduce new routes, new destinations and new frequencies as we had originally set out to do - as Vistara. " 
-Vistara CEO, Vinod Kannan

Vistara And Air India To Merge

As per reports, Vistara Airlines and Tata-owned Air India are set to merge into a single airline company by March 2024. After the merger, Singapore Airlines, which has a 49% stake in Vistara will own 25% of the newly merged Air India and also infuse ₹2000 crore into the new company. This new merger between Vistara and Air India will mean a larger fleet of planes and broader routes under the larger Air India brand as Tata plans to rebuild and expand their aviation wing. Tata purchased Air India from the government about a year ago for around ₹18,000 crore and also owns a 51% stake in Vistara Airlines. As per a report, Tata had plans to merge all its airline brands under one single division from the beginning. 

Tata also owns two other minor airline brands, Air India Express and Air Asia India and these are set to be part of this merger as well. As per a statement by Singapore Airlines, Tata and Singapore airlines plan to finish the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. As per Tata, this will put the newly combined fleet of the merged companies at 218, after putting together Air India’s 113 planes, Vistara’s 53 planes, AirAsia India’s 28 planes and Air India Express’s 24 planes. After this merger, Air India will be India’s largest international carrier and second-largest domestic carrier, said Tata representatives. Tata is also planning to purchase new aircrafts to add to its fleet and triple the current number of 113. 

"As part of the transformation, Air India is focusing on growing both its network and fleet, revamping its customer proposition, enhancing safety, reliability, and on-time performance,"
-said chairperson N Chandrasekaran through a company release.