Air India-Vistara Merger: Fleet Down to 187 Aircraft, Weekly Flights Reduced

One year after the much-anticipated merger between Air India and Vistara on November 12, 2024, the Tata Group-owned airline finds itself operating a smaller fleet and fewer flights than at the time of integration, defying expectations of rapid expansion amid persistent supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and a tragic June 2025 crash that claimed 241 lives on an Ahmedabad-bound Boeing 787. The combined entity, which boasted 208 aircraft and over 5,600 weekly flights connecting 90 destinations at merger, has shrunk to 187 planes and 4,823 weekly operations as of November 2025, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. This contraction stems from the write-off of the crash-damaged 787, the retirement of ageing Boeing 777-200LRs—including legacy models and those leased from Delta Air Lines—and the non-arrival of six promised 777-300ERs from Singapore Airlines, highlighting the challenges in fleet rationalisation under the Vihaan.AI transformation plan.

The merger was envisioned to propel Air India toward a 30% domestic market share within five years, leveraging Vistara's premium service ethos to challenge IndiGo's dominance. However, post-integration teething issues have tempered progress: the group's market share dipped to 26.4% in December 2024 before recovering to 27.4% by September 2025, trailing the pre-merger 29.2% high. While Air India added domestic routes like Bhuj, Gaya, and Jodhpur and forged codeshares with Kenya Airways and Air Astana, it suspended Washington services amid capacity constraints, though it boosted London Heathrow frequencies. Efforts to standardise offerings include retrofitting 27 A320neos to a three-class layout matching ex-Vistara jets, completed in October 2025 after delays from June targets.

Operational hurdles, exacerbated by global events like Boeing's production strikes and a depreciating rupee, have slowed the influx of new aircraft, with the first refitted 787s slated for December 2025 and Boeing 777 upgrades pushed to 2027-2028. Singapore Airlines' 25.1% stake infusion of $500 million has aided integration, but the airline's unlisted status obscures the full financial toll, akin to IndiGo's rupee-hit Q2 2025 results. On a positive note, Air India has enhanced connectivity to 82 global destinations with its current 187-aircraft fleet, while premium economy seats have surged from 25 to 108 across upgraded planes, though demand lags, prompting complimentary upgrades.

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Looking ahead, Air India's long-term strategy hinges on massive orders—470 firm commitments plus 70 options from Airbus and Boeing—to reach 400 planes by 2027, focusing on A350s and 787-9s for international hubs and transfer traffic. Training initiatives, including a new Gurugram simulator centre with Airbus, aim to build a skilled workforce, but the delayed Amravati aviation academy—now postponed beyond mid-2025—exemplifies timeline slippages. As the airline navigates these headwinds, CEO Campbell Wilson emphasises cultural shifts toward Vistara's agile ethos, positioning the merged giant to capture premium segments and counter regional competitors like those in Dubai and Singapore. While the anniversary underscores a "work in progress", sustained investments could yet realise Vihaan. AI's vision of a world-class carrier.

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