‘Kal Ho Na Ho’: Vistara Crew, Passengers Get Emotional on Final Day of Operations

Last Updated:November 11, 2024, 13:56 IST

On the final day of operations, Vistara crew members were nostalgic during in-flight announcements and played ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ upon landing.

Starting November 12, Vistara’s aircraft will be operated by Air India with a special code ‘AI 2’.

Vistara’s passengers on Monday shared emotional notes on social media even as the Tata-owned full-service airline merges with Air India from Tuesday. On the final day of operations on Monday, Vistara crew members were nostalgic during in-flight announcements and played ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ upon landing, as shared by a traveller.

“My last flight on Vistara was to Paris where the flight landed next to an Air India plane under a beautiful sunset. Great flight thoughtful crew. Sad to say farewell Vistara now, hopefully AI inflight Vista will continue to remind passengers of this lovely brand,” an air traveller said in a post on X.

Also Read: Vistara’s 9-Year Journey In A Snapshot: All About Its Launch, Achievements, Final Flight

Another traveller said, “Farewell to Vistara. India’s finest domestic airline, as it takes its final flight today. Since 2015, Vistara has set new standards for service and comfort in Indian skies. Thank you, Vistara, for making every journey memorable! Let us fly high to new horizons with Air India.”

Starting November 12, Vistara’s aircraft will be operated by Air India with a special code ‘AI 2’. The Tata group-owned airline Vistara was launched nine years ago in January 2015 as a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. From November 12, all Vistara flights will operate as Air India flights after the merger.

“Grateful to have experienced Vistara on its final day of operations — a brand that truly delivered on its promise of ‘a new feeling’ in travel. Vistara is one of the few brands which overlapped brand promise with brand delivery so seamlessly,” an X user wrote sharing his last Vistara journey.

Their attention to detail proved that business is more than cost-cutting & short-term revenue but about building a brand that people want to keep engaging with. Interestingly, travelers often dressed up more while travelling Vistara given the elevated in-flight experience, he added.

He said the crew was nostalgic during in-flight announcements and in true Vistara fashion played Kal Ho Naa Ho upon landing.

“Wrapped up my last flight on Vistara before its merger with Air India, set to complete in two days. Filled with nostalgia of the great flights and excellent service that made Vistara India’s best airline. Wishing them all the best for this new chapter!” another traveller wrote on X.

The Air India-Vistara mergers comes as part of Tata group’s strategic move to merge its airline entities under the Air India brand, aiming to streamline operations and enhance customer experience. The government in August 2024 approved the foreign direct investment by Singapore Airlines as part of the merger.

After the merger, Singapore Airlines (SA) will have a 25.1 per cent stake in Tata Group-owned Air India. In 2015, Vistara was set up as a JV with SA’s 49 per cent stake.

Vistara had closed all its booking on September 3. The tickets were allowed to be booked for travel till November 11. However, those who had earlier booked Vistara tickets for travel on November 12 or afterwards, their tickets will be transferred to Air India flights.