‘No Hurry To Go Overseas’

Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO, Vistara spoke to Haider Ali Khan about the new civil aviation policy and its impact on Vistara’s prospect.

Excerpts:

How has the last 18 months in the Indian skies been for Vistara?
The growth of Vistara has been exciting for all of us, and as a team we have gone from strength to strength to establish the brand. It is a matter of pride for all of us at Vistara that we have crossed the two-million customer mark within 17 months of our operations. We are delighted to receive positive response from the customers who have appreciated the way Vistara has brought in credibility and a definite qualitative change in the way flying is perceived in India. In a short span, Vistara has rapidly grown its fleet and expanded its network, connecting the country through many direct, via and connecting flights. We plan to stay true to our commitment of bringing the new feeling of flying to India.

What will be your strategy after the new civil aviation policy?
As an Indian airline, we are committed to grow our footprint in India and now with clarity in the guidelines, we look forward to providing international connectivity to travellers to/ from India. Our focus will be on a measured pace of growth and we are in no hurry to go overseas till we are ready with the enhanced products and services to cater to the international passengers.

Are you planning to increase your fleet size?
Currently, Vistara’s pan India network runs through 18 destinations across metros and non-metros offering 487 weekly flights. Our current fleet size is 11, to which we will add two more aircraft, taking the total count to 13 by October 2016. As per our initial plan, we will have a fleet of 20 A320 Airbus aircraft by June 2018, but now with the announcement of the new aviation policy we are exploring our options of either accelerating the deliveries or procuring more aircraft from leasing firms or OEMs.

How is Vistara going to adapt to the increasing competition in the domestic market?
As a progressive entity, we are constantly revisiting how things are done and what we can do to be more efficient in terms of service and operations. Being a young airline, we have the flexibility and nimbleness to swiftly act on customer feedback and market forces.

What would be your focus area in India?
We aim to transform the flying experience of travellers in India by delivering exceptional service and operational excellence. We are focused on strengthening our network and enhancing our product and service offering. We are also looking forward to more strategic partnerships with airline and non-airline brands that will strengthen our value proposition for our customers.