Air India’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, announced plans to begin integrating around 7,000 Vistara employees into Air India in the coming months, aiming to complete the merger by the end of the year. This signifies an expedited process of merging the two full-service carriers under the Tata group.
Vinod Kannan, CEO of Vistara, had previously indicated an operational merger with Air India by mid-2025, but the recent developments suggest a faster timeline.
At a town hall meeting attended by employees from both airlines, Wilson and Kannan revealed that 120 pilots have already transitioned between the two carriers, along with approximately 60 non-flying staff from Vistara moving to Air India.
Assessments for the 7,000 Vistara employees have been finalized, and integration into Air India is progressing, with the process set to commence in June. A small group of Vistara employees will remain until the airline surrenders its air operator certificate (AOC) to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
When the Tata group assumed control of Air India in January 2022, the employee ratio between Air India and Vistara was 12:5. Wilson mentioned at the town hall that this ratio has been maintained, with Air India currently employing around 17,000 individuals, while Vistara has approximately 7,000 employees.
The sharing of best practices and harmonization of standard operating procedures (SOPs) between the two airlines is already underway. Wilson highlighted the implementation of ‘myIDTravel,’ enabling employees to book tickets across both airlines seamlessly.
Despite these developments, Wilson and Kannan did not directly address recent disruptions experienced by Vistara and Air India Express due to employee discontent.
Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata group and Singapore Airlines, is undergoing a merger with Air India to create a unified full-service carrier, while Air India Express is merging with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) to form a single low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India.
Turbulence at Air India Express ensued after over 100 cabin crew members went on sick leave, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights. This came shortly after Vistara faced flight cancellations due to pilot discontent over scheduling and salary packages amidst its merger into Air India.
