Top officials during the press conference in Dubai on Monday.

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, said there has been a consistent rise in passenger volumes and demand from the Gulf countries, paving way for the airline to bolster its presence in the region.

Vistara started its operation in Gulf region three and a half years ago, revealed during a press conference in Dubai on Monday that it will add 16 more aircraft to its fleet by mid of 2024.

The airline announced the launch of daily, non-stop flights between Mumbai (India) and Muscat (Oman) on Monday, its fourth destination in the Gulf region, as part of expanding its footprint in the Middle East.

Muscat is the third Gulf city (Abu Dhabi and Jeddah being the other two) that Vistara has added to its network in the last four months.

Vistara also operates daily flights to Dubai to/from Mumbai. In the context of the increase in demand for travel between India and the Gulf region, Vistara’s Middle Eastern routes have been performing remarkably well.

The inaugural flight will depart from Mumbai at 2000 Hours (IST) and arrive in Muscat at 2135 Hours (GST). With this, Vistara becomes the only carrier to offer the choice of Premium Economy class on the route, in addition to Business and Economy class.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “The launch of operations to Muscat is in line with our goal to steadily enhance our footprint in the Middle East. The firm bilateral relationship and robust cultural and economic ties between India and states in the Gulf region have given great impetus to our growth plans, and our successful business on the other Middle Eastern routes is a testament to that. We are excited to bring India’s finest full-service carrier to Muscat with daily connectivity from Mumbai and are confident that Vistara with its award-winning product and services will be a much-preferred carrier on this route as well.”

Vistara will accept all eligible customers meeting visa/entry requirements in both countries, as specified by the respective government bodies. Vistara strongly encourages its customers to fully understand these guidelines before making their bookings.

Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, besides being lauded for world-class cabin cleanliness and upholding high safety standards.

The airline has recently been featured amongst World’s Top 20 Airlines while being recognised as the ‘Best Airline in India and Southern Asia’ for the second time in a row,

‘Best Airline Staff Service in India and Southern Asia’ for the fourth consecutive year, ‘Best Cabin Crew in India and Southern Asia’ for the second time in a row and ‘Best Business Class in India and Southern Asia’ at the coveted Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022.