Vistara Deploys SITA AIRCOM and Network Technology

April 25, 2016

Ryan Gehm

The successful deployment of aircraft communications, airline operations, and network connectivity solutions, completed within 16 weeks, supports Vistara’s expansion plans.

SITA and SITAONAIR have completed the joint implementation of aircraft communications, airline operations, and network connectivity for Vistara, the joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd. The successful deployment, completed within 16 weeks, supports Vistara’s expansion plans. Vistara started flying in January 2015 and has 307 flights each week, across 12 destinations in India. The carrier has nine Airbus A320s in its fleet.

Vistara is SITAONAIR's first AIRCOM FlightPlanner solution customer in India. The airline also uses SITAONAIR's AIRCOM Datalink services, FlightMessenger, and FlightTracker (pictured).

Vistara is SITAONAIR's first AIRCOM FlightPlanner solution customer in India. The technology provides computerized flight plans and data such as inflight weather updates and airport information. The result is route planning that reduces operational costs, improves on-time performance, and facilitates safer and smoother flights by avoiding major weather events.

The airline uses SITA's global IP network to connect its back offices, ticketing desks, and check-in counters at airports across India with its passenger services system, based in Germany. The network handles both reservations and departure control services and it is specifically tailored to be scalable to support Vistara's future expansion in India. Vistara also uses SITA's Type B Messaging Service for critical air transport industry operational messages.

SITAONAIR's AIRCOM Datalink services, FlightMessenger, and FlightTracker are other solutions used by Vistara to manage air-to-ground communications for the flight crew, airline operations and air traffic controllers, and to track their aircraft. SITAONAIR's VHF network, the largest in India, provides the connection between the aircraft and the ground.

“Indian aviation has an immense growth potential,” said Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO of Vistara. “This will be one of the world’s largest aviation markets within the next five years and Vistara has a prominent role to play in that expansion. We are putting all the right tools in place to make sure we are best positioned to leverage the growth opportunity. The efficient communication and network technology that SITA and SITAONAIR have delivered are both essential for smooth operations and facilitating our expansion.”