Vistara Expands its Reach in Gulf, Announces Mumbai-Dammam Flight from March 1

Along with starting flight services from Mumbai to Dammam, Vistara will also resume operations between Mumbai and Colombo from March 1.

Though Tata-owned Vistara airline is set to be merged with Air India soon, the airline continues to expand its operations. From expanding its flight fleet to expanding air services on international routes, Vistara continues to fly high. Today, the full-service carrier Vistara stated that it will start daily direct flights between Mumbai and Dammam from March 1 as it continues to expand international services. A320 neo aircraft will be deployed for the services on this route. In a statement, the airline also said that it will resume operations between Mumbai and Colombo with daily flights from March 1 after a hiatus of nearly three years.

"We are excited to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia with the addition of Dammam as the second city in the Kingdom, after Jeddah. Integral to the Saudi Vision 2030, Dammam is a key administrative destination that is home to the largest port in the Gulf and some of the major business headquarters," Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said.

On Tuesday, Kannan said the airline will continue to expand and expects to have a total of 70 planes by mid-2024. "The percentage of capacity deployed internationally has increased. We have 25-30 percent deployed internationally... That is quite positive and a game changer for us," he had said.

Out of the total 70 planes, there are 10 A321s and 53 A320 neos, along with 7 Boeing 787s, the Vistara CEO said at a briefing. Among the 53 A320 neos, 10 planes will have all economy class and the rest will have three classes. Currently, the airline has a fleet of 53 aircraft.

"We will continue to expand... More international routes (will be added)," Kannan said. According to him, there are constraints in terms of traffic rights and slots. 

(With inputs from PTI)