Vistara to defer deliveries, gradually reduce 737 fleet

Live Mint reports that Vistara is, unsurprisingly, in talks with manufacturer’s to defer aircraft deliveries due later this year.

Vistara’s first Boeing 787-9 pictured at Boeing’s facility in Seattle. Photo by Huy Do | AeroNewsX

This includes Boeing 787-9s, Airbus A320neos and Airbus A321neos. Aside from deferrals, Vistara also plans to return several leased aircraft.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Strategy Officer at Vistara elaborated: “This year, we will return our first (leased) batch of Airbus A320ceo planes, about six of them. We took nine Boeing 737 planes, earlier operated by Jet Airways. Out of this, two have already been returned. A third one will be going back some time this year. The remaining six are on short-term lease. We are also reviewing this to see if there is an opportunity for us to rationalize, and if early return is possible.”

Following the bankruptcy of Jet Airways, airlines like Vistara we’re keen to absorb as much of the former’s operations as possible. Vistara absorbed a couple of Jet Airways’ Boeing 737s, which now represent too much capacity.

The carrier had already returned 2 to lessors. A third, according to a source for Live Mint, will be returned to GECAS later this week - bringing the 737 fleet to 6 aircraft.