In 2018, Vistara had placed an order for 50 Airbus aircraft, including a mix of owned and leased A320/A321neo aircraft. Today, Vistara received its first Airbus A321neo, an aircraft it had picked for regional international operations, such as those to Singapore, and perhaps to open up Hong Kong amongst other markets. The Airbus A321neo aircraft are intended for use on short to medium-haul international routes or destinations within seven hours of flying time.
The first aircraft arrived in Delhi this morning from the Airbus' production facility in Hamburg, Germany. This addition makes Vistara the first airline in South Asia to offer fully lie-flat beds on a narrowbody aircraft and one of the few such airlines across the world.
Featuring Vistara's three-class cabin configuration, the aircraft has a total of 188 seats - 12 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 152 in Economy. All of them feature 4-way adjustable headrests and movable armrests. Vistara customers will enjoy seat-back entertainment and in-seat power/USB Charging Ports in every seat.
The airline's In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system, developed by Panasonic, features a content-rich multimedia library that total up to 700 hours of content, a superior map experience with a 3D flight path map and flight tracker. The aircraft is also equipped with wireless connectivity, which will allow passengers to access the internet through onboard Wi-Fi, 3G mobile data through GSM and GPRS for SMS and MMS services, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.
Vistara's CEO, Leslie Thng said, "This new addition to our fleet reinforces our long-term commitment to international expansion plans, despite the challenges of the current times. The new cabin products on our A321neo aircraft truly complement our promise of providing a premium and world-class flying experience to travellers from and to India." He further added, "The A321neo aircraft ensures operational enhancement, cost-effectiveness as well as reduction of the carbon footprint for us while enabling extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency and higher range. All of these aspects perfectly align with our international growth strategy."
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus, said, "In these challenging times, differentiation through efficiency, product and customer mindset is what truly matters, and we are proud to see our A321neo as an essential cornerstone in meeting Vistara's strategic objectives for the future," He further went on to say, "Providing a competitive edge through India's best in class business cabin as well as significant advantages in terms of operations, efficiency and environment are a truly wise way for a growing airline going forward."
Vistara's Business Class seats on the A321neo are upholstered in genuine leather that reclines into fully-flat beds and are organised into 2-2 configuration, making sure everyone gets either a window or aisle. The seat pitch is 63″ and when stretched out as a bed, it turns into an 84″ bed (82.19″ in some rows). The bed is 20.05″ wide, and when you drop the armrests, it goes to 22.4″. Each Business Class seat will have a four-way headrest, headset hook, cocktail table, reading light and a coat hook. Seats were supplied by Collins Aerospace.
Vistara's Premium Economy on the A321neo will have 24 seats in a 3-3 configuration, again supplied by Collins Aerospace. The seat pitch of 33″ makes it comfortable for longer haul journeys. If you won't feel like napping on your overnight journey, you get yourselves a 10″ seatback IFE as well, and a USB port and a 3-pin charging point in every seat.
Vistara's Economy cabin on the A321neo will have 152 seats in a 3-3 configuration, supplied by Collins Aerospace. The seat pitch will be of 28″-29″ . If you won't feel like napping on your overnight journey, you get yourselves a 10″ seatback IFE as well, and a USB port and two 3-pin charging points shared amongst three seats.
Vistara's A321neo aircraft are powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines that reduces noise footprint by nearly 50%. The A321neo aircraft are at least 20% more fuel efficient per seat than the previous generation aircraft with the new technology engines and new aerodynamics of the wings (sharklets). The aircraft also has an increased operating range due to an additional Centre Tank installed in the Aft Cargo compartment, which increases fuel capacity by 2300 kgs.
With the newly delivered A321neo, Vistara has raised the bar, again, on a premium product for a premium market. Vistara's long term strategy is to match the right aircraft with the right market, and when international operations resume, we should see Vistara putting the A321neos on the Singapore leg, allowing them to operate the mission with the right number of people and also allowing people on the overnight flights an opportunity to sleep.
All Vistara aircraft for international operations will also have wifi capabilities, so if you would likely be heading for a work meeting and want to upload your presentation before you arrive, you should be able to do that as well here on.
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