Airlines Vistara receives first Airbus A321neo

Vistara has successfully taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft. The airline has now become the first operator in South Asia with lie-flat beds on a narrow body jet. VT-TVA was ferried from Airbus´ facilities at Hamburg-Finkenwerder to New Delhi.

Vistara has configured its A321neo in a three-class layout, featuring 12 seats in business class and 24 in premium economy. The airline can accommodate 152 passengers in economy class and 188 in total.

The aircraft is the first of six A321neo, which are on lease by Air Lease Corporation. The leasing company ordered 50 A320neo Family aircraft back in 2018. The next A321neo aircraft will be delivered throughout this and the next years.

Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara said: “We are excited to welcome our first A321neo aircraft, the latest addition in our growing fleet. The new aircraft ensures operational enhancement, cost efficiency as well as reduction in carbon footprint for us while enabling extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency and higher range.”

“In these challenging times, differentiation through efficiency, product and customer mindset is what truly matters, and we are proud to see our A321neo as an essential cornerstone in meeting Vistara’s strategic objectives for the future,” added Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus. “Providing a competitive edge through India’s best in class business cabin as well as significant advantages in terms of operations, efficiency and environment are a truly wise way for a growing airline going forward.”

With the A321neo, Vistara is chasing its international growth strategy and its plan, to modernize its fleet. The Indian airline already operates a very young fleet. The lie-flat beds are a new argument for passengers to fly with the airline on international routes.

The 321neos from Vistara will all be powered by CFM-Leap 1A engines and will be supported by the Flight Hour Services Tailored Support Package (FHS-TSP) programme from Airbus. With this programme, the airline´s fleet operations can be optimised.

Vistara was founded in 2014 as a joint venture between TATA group and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA). The current fleet consists of 32 Airbus A320s, of which 21 are NEOs, one A321neo, six Boeing 737-800s and one 787-9 Dreamliner.