While the Vistara aircraft will continue to fly in their colours and with their own brand of service on five major routes for the first half of the year, the long-term existence of the Vistara branding and product is uncertain.
AI has also been handing off some of its all-economy aircraft and many routes to Air India Express on domestic and international routes. This has come with the dislike of some Air India regulars, who miss their ability to earn loyalty points and fly business class on these routes.
Three new airlines are expected to take wing in 2025
In 2024, we saw the arrival of Fly91, an all-ATR aircraft operator on the scene, based in Goa. The plans to bring Jet Airways back to the air faltered, and the airline is now under liquidation. But three airlines are working on taking to the skies at the moment. These include Air Kerala and Al Hind Air, both based in Kerala and intending to operate with ATR’s turboprop aircraft. Up north, Shankh Air, based in Lucknow, also plans to launch operations in 2025. However, all these airlines are currently in the planning stage, and none of the three have secured an air operator permit (AOP) from the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA.
Domestic Wi-Fi is finally available on some Air India flights
Air India has fitted its A350, ex-Vistara 787, and A321Neo aircraft with Wi-Fi capabilities. While the airline primarily uses these aircraft for international operations, you may sometimes find them doing domestic trips (especially the A321Neos). On 1 January, 2025, Air India launched complimentary domestic Wi-Fi on all these aircraft, which it had already offered on international routes.
Scoot past Indian immigration using the FTI-TTP programme
In 2024, the Government of India launched a Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme, where, once enrolled and approved, an Indian passport holder or an OCI cardholder does not have to queue up for a stamp on their passport for passport control. Instead, you cross an automated biometric kiosk within seconds. The pilot was launched at Delhi airport, and infrastructure is being prepared at other Indian airports, such as Mumbai and Bengaluru, for a launch in 2025.
Quicker US visas, hopefully
Post-COVID, wait times for a fresh US Visa stretched over two years. This number is coming down now, but two new steps have been taken, allowing the number to drop in 2025. A new US Consulate is scheduled to open in Bengaluru in January 2025, which will reduce the crowds at other US posts in India for visa interviews. Another change of rules will allow only one free change of the interview appointment, which was three complimentary changes earlier.
Even other countries in the region, such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia, have been reducing their Visa barriers to bring Indians to their shores. However, there has been heightened scrutiny for granting a Schengen visa to Indian travellers by some European countries, a stance we hope will be climbed down in 2025.