Vistara, the joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited, on Tuesday said it will launch non-stop flights to Paris from Mumbai beginning March 28. The flight services on the new route will be operated five times per week with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, Vistara said in a statement.

Vistara announced the latest addition to its international connections, after it completed nine years of its operations. It currently flies to Paris from Delhi five times a week. Vistara already operates its flight services to London and Frankfurt from Mumbai as part of its long-haul international air services network. The addition of air services to Paris will further enhance connectivity between India and Europe, Vistara added. "We are delighted to announce direct connectivity between Mumbai and Paris, our sixth route to Europe. The addition of this much-awaited connection is in line with our strategy to position Mumbai as a vital hub for international travel," Vistara Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan said. 

Vistara, the joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has expressed confidence in receiving its last Boeing 787 wide-body jet from Boeing by March or April. This comes despite a recent incident involving a narrow-body 737 MAX 9 that experienced fuselage issues. Vistara's CEO, Vinod Kannan, stated during a media call on Monday that the airline is set to achieve a fleet size of 70 aircraft by March or April 2024, a timeline considerably earlier than its initial projection of end-2024. Currently, Vistara operates a fleet of 67 jets, predominantly comprising single-aisle Airbus A320s and featuring five Boeing 787s. Advertisement Kannan further shared expectations of obtaining all necessary legal approvals for Vistara's merger with the larger carrier, Air India, within the first half of 2024. The integration of operations is anticipated to be completed by mid-2025 at the latest. Despite closely monitoring developments related to the 737 MAX 9, Vistara reassured stakeholders that the recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines plane on Sunday would not impact its operations.

(With PTI inputs)