Vistara to commence flights to London

Vistara will be operating flights to London under the air bubble arrangement the country has created with the United Kingdom. The airliner will be given a slot at London Heathrow Airport from August 6 onwards according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Vistara is yet to announce the flight details.

New Delhi: After SpiceJet, Vistara has also got the permission to commence flights to London under the air bubble that India has created with the UK, officials said on Tuesday. According to Ministry of Civil Aviation officials, Vistara will be given the slot at London Heathrow Airport from August 6 onwards and SpiceJet will have its slot from September 1.

SpiceJet in a BSE filing on August 4, stated that the airline has secured slots at London Heathrow Airport to operate flights effective September 1, 2020. "This is presently under the bubble arrangement between India and UK and effective up to the end of the summer schedule, October 23, 2020. The same shall be extended basis the resumption of regular operations," SpiceJet had said in a BSE filing.

As per the SpiceJet official, the airline slot at London Heathrow is 3:30 pm arrival and 5:30 pm departure (BST). Vistara is yet to announce the flight details. The carrier will operate this route with a fleet of two Boeing 789-9 aircraft.

Notably, India has air bubbles arrangement with the US, the UK, Germany, France and Kuwait. The government has also allowed all Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and certain categories of foreigners to fly in from countries with which India has an air bubble arrangement.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday issued a notification saying that Indians with valid UAE Visa can now go there with the condition that such passengers should be destined for the UAE only. Until now, travel permission was given only to those having UAE resident visas under the Vande Bharat Mission flights.

Read: In Pics: All's not well with holy Ganga!