The full-service carrier Vistara is planning to add a total of 10 aircraft as well as to hire more than 1,000 people in the current financial year and has shelved plans to fly to the US.According to a formal announcement, Vistara, which is scheduled to merge with Air India, now boasts a fleet of 61 aircraft and a workforce of more than 5,200 people.With the demise of Go First, according to Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan, there has been a ready pool of talent, particularly pilots and cabin staff personnel.From Go First, the airline has hired about 50 pilots. CEO provided more information on Vistaras hiring goals, stating that the company would hire about 1,000 people this fiscal year and add a total of 10 aircraft.“Just like Air India and IndiGo, we also recruited them. We wanted to make sure that we took the right number, the right people. We went through the usual process that every airline will do. Then, there is the entire job market for the cabin crew where freshers are coming in. We still attract good talent,” he said.Notably, Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, with 61 planes and no aircraft on the ground. the fleet also has three owned and one leased wide-body aircraft.The CEO added that they have decided not to fly to the US as planned earlier. He said, “If they want to travel to the US, they need a lot of aircraft. One single daily operation from India to the US will need at least three aircraft. I have to wait for three aircraft to come and I dont know if it will be spaced out. By the time it will start, the integration (will be) happening.”The individuals who developed the Vistara brand are going to be there, and its always best to depart on a high note, said Kannan in light of the ongoing merger process with Air India, after which the Vistara brand will cease to exist.The merger of Tata Groups Air India with Vistara was announced in November 2022, last year. According to the deal, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 percent stake in Air India. Notably, the deal is expected to be completed by next year.
