Vistara is set to fly the Delhi-Tokyo route from June 16 under the air bubble arrangement formed between India and Japan. The ambitious Indian carrier will fly once a week between the two capital cities.
An official statement said bookings for the flights are open for booking with return fares starting at Rs 45,049 all-in. The announcement comes at a time when India and its aviation sector have been badly hit by the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Vistara will be using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the airline intends to operate the route once per week from mid-June. The aircraft has been a key to the airline’s international expansion, operating flights to London and Frankfurt. The 787 has a three-cabin layout, with a business, premium economy and economy cabin. At the front of the cabin are 30 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration; behind this is a modest premium economy cabin with three rows of 2-3-2 seating.
However, because of India’s red list status, the airline is currently unable to fly passengers to London. It is still operating flights to London. “We are delighted to add Japan to our international network, under the travel bubble and look forward to providing the best of Indian hospitality while maintaining the highest standards of safety, hygiene for our customers on this sector,” said Leslie Thng, CEO Vistara.
Vistara had been, as per Simple Flying, to start 2021 with six Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Boeing didn’t deliver any new 787 Dreamliner aircraft between October 2020 and March 2021. As such, the number of Dreamliners in Vistara’s fleet had remained steady.
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Many countries are currently restricting travel to and from India, given the surge in COVID-19 infections across India. Despite the prevailing health crisis, some India airlines are keen on short-term international expansion to their route networks, with Vistara being an example.
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