Air India-Vistara merger: Singapore regulator’s final approval help optimise airlines’ schedules, contracts

The merger, announced in November 2022, involves the integration of Vistara with Air India, with Singapore Airlines acquiring a 25.1% stake in Air India. Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata Group, has gained conditional approval from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on March 5. This approval follows commitments from Air India, Singapore Airlines and Vistara to address potential anti-competition concerns.

Campbell Wilson, Air India’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, highlighted in a staff message that the CCCS approval, coupled with the previous approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), now allows Air India and Vistara to collaborate on detailed information sharing, facilitating the optimisation of schedules, contracts and expediting the merger process.

Wilson noted that a project spanning over eight months, involving more than 80 individuals, to harmonise operating procedures and manuals across the four Tata airlines, is entering its final phase. This alignment is crucial for the safe transfer of crew and aircraft between different Air Operator Certificates (AOCs), a critical aspect of bringing together the two Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) – Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), along with merging the Full-Service Carriers (FSCs) – Air India and Vistara, as part of Tata Group’s strategy to consolidate its airline business.