Vistara leases six aircraft to boost domestic market growth

New Delhi:Full-service carrier Vistara on Friday said it has leased an additional six aircraft from BOC Aviation to accelerate its growth in the domestic market.

As part of the agreement, Vistara has leased four Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft to be delivered in May, 2019 and two Airbus A320neo powered by 'CFM LEAP 1A' engines, scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2019.

"Our focus on serving the domestic market has remained unwavered even as we prepare to become an international airline," Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said in a statement.

"These leased aircraft will be deployed to meet the sudden drop in capacity in the market and to aid convenience of travellers. Our decision to induct a different aircraft type in our fleet is a carefully evaluated one, which is both, economically and commercially viable, and will eventually help us take the Vistara experience wider and deeper across markets in India."

Last year, Vistara had placed its aircraft order of a combination of purchased and leased aircraft totalling 50 from the Airbus A320neo family (including the A321neo) for domestic as well as short and medium-haul international operations, with deliveries scheduled between 2019 and 2023.

Further, the airline has purchased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that are scheduled to be delivered between 2020 and 2021, and will be used for long-haul international operations.

Additionally, the airline - a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines - said that in order to support the next phase of expansion of its domestic operations, it has recruited nearly 500 former employees of Jet Airways, including pilots, cabin crew, engineers and other staff.