Vistara to operate Mumbai-London flights thrice a week from January 16

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to Covid-19

Vistara on Friday said it will operate flights on the Mumbai-London route thrice a week from January 16 onward using its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Currently, the full-service carrier is operating flights on the Delhi-London route thrice a week.

All UK flights are being operated from India under the bilateral air bubble arrangement between the two countries.

Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, "We are delighted at the very positive response to our service between Delhi and London Heathrow which has encouraged us to further strengthen the network by adding connectivity from Mumbai as we see considerable demand between the two countries, and remain optimistic about the future."

The airline's statement said it will operate flights on the Mumbai-London route thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, Indian airlines have been permitted to operate special international flights under the Vande Bharat Mission since May this year and under the bilateral air bubble pacts since July.

The Indian carriers have laid off employees, cut salaries and posted significant losses during the last few quarters as coronavirus-induced travel restrictions have drastically impacted the aviation sector.

Countries across the world should not wait for the majority of people to be vaccinated against coronavirus and need to open their borders by implementing systematic pre-departure testing, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said on Monday.