Dubai: Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Indian airline Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and SIA, have signed a Commercial Cooperation Framework Agreement.
This agreement will further strengthen SIA’s and Vistara’s existing partnership while at the same time enabling them to offer seamless services to their customers by harmonising efforts in capacity planning, sales, marketing, joint fare products, customer services and operations.
The agreement, which is still subject to regulatory approval in Singapore, is an extension of a codeshare partnership that came into effect in 2017.
Strengthening the partnership between SIA and Vistara will allow both airlines to achieve further synergies on services between Singapore and India, as well as in the key regions of South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
This will be important as the aviation industry recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and both international and domestic connectivity are restored in a gradual and calibrated manner in tandem with the demand for air travel.
Singapore Airlines Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning JoAnn Tan said (that) by bolstering our partnership, Singapore Airlines and Vistara are able to work together to provide additional options for customers.
“It also reflects the importance of the Indian market to Singapore Airlines, as well as our commitment to grow our network in the coming years,” Tan added.
Vistara Chief Executive Officer Leslie Thng said the company is thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Singapore Airlines.
“The intent is reflective of our deep-rooted commitment to providing our customers the finest and the most convenient way to fly across the world with the consistency of a five-star travel experience. This is in line with our long-term growth plan of expanding Vistara’s global presence and presenting India’s best airline to the world.”
Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards.
In the short span of five years, Vistara has raised the bar for operations and service delivery in the Indian aviation industry by offering an unparalleled flying experience to travellers.
The SIA Group’s history dates back to 1947, with the maiden flight of Malayan Airways Limited. The airline was later renamed Malaysian Airways Limited and then Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA).
In 1972, MSA split into Singapore Airlines (SIA), and Malaysian Airline System.
Initially operating a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to 22 cities in 18 countries, SIA has since grown to be a world-class international airline group that is committed to the constant enhancement of the three main pillars of its brand promise: Service Excellence, Product Leadership and Network Connectivity
TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited (Tata Sons) and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA). Vistara brings together Tata’s and SIA’s legendary hospitality and renowned service excellence to offer the finest full-service flying experience in India.
Vistara commenced its commercial operations on January 9, 2015 with an aim to set new standards in the aviation industry in India and it today connects destinations across India and abroad. The airline has a fleet of 45 aircraft including 35 Airbus A320, two Airbus A321neo, six Boeing 737-800NG and two Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, and has flown more than 20 million customers since starting operations.
This article first appeared in the NFA Post and is republished with permission.
