Vistara Prepares To Merge Staff Into Air India Amid Antitrust Concerns
NDTV
Vistara will be folded into Air India under a deal announced in November, giving the Tatas more heft to go up against dominant budget carrier IndiGo.
Vistara airline has begun making plans to merge its staff into Air India, as the country's industrial Tata family combines the two carriers to rebuild its aviation empire and take on market leader IndiGo.
"The process of integration of the staff has started," Vistara Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan told reporters in Mumbai on Monday. He expects regulatory clearances to be completed by April 2024, confirming an earlier report that Indian regulators have raised antitrust concerns.
Vistara, now co-owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, will be folded into Air India under a deal announced in November, giving the Tatas more heft to go up against dominant budget carrier IndiGo. Singapore Air will receive a 25.1% stake in the combined entity in exchange for its interest in Vistara and a $250 million investment.