singapore hotel: TATA SIA Christens its Airline, Vistara

The name implies ‘limitless expanse’

The eight-pointed star, derived from a mathematical symbol, reflects a commitment to the highest standards of service

Crew, staff uniforms and aircraft livery also showcased

TATA SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL) today announced that the much-anticipated brand name of its new airline will be Vistara.

Vistara, which is expected to start operations in October, 2014, aims to transform the air traveller’s experience. With an obsession for quality in every aspect of customer engagement, the airline will treat travellers as unique individuals and delight them with intuitive thoughtfulness.

Headquartered in Delhi, Vistara will take delivery of its first plane, an Airbus A320-200, in September and plans to increase its fleet to 20 aircraft, including A320neos, by the end of the fifth year of operation.

The name Vistara is derived from the Sanskrit word, ‘Vistaar’, which means ‘limitless expanse’, and draws inspiration from the brand’s domain — the ‘limitless’ sky. The logo is derived from a ‘yantra’, a perfect mathematical form that reflects the unbounded universe. Its fluid interconnecting lines reflect the seamless experience the airline wants to offer its customers. The eight-pointed star at the centre of the logo reflects the high standards Vistara is committed to and the excellence that will be a hallmark of the airline.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prasad Menon, Chairman, TSAL, said, “Today is a momentous day for the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. Vistara will redefine the way we travel in India. I can confidently say that Tata’s and SIA’s legendary hospitality standards and service excellence will make Vistara a natural choice for passengers”.

Dr. Mukund Rajan, Member – Group Executive Council and Brand Custodian, Tata Sons, and Director, TSAL, said, “All of us at Tata are extremely pleased to have witnessed the coming together of all the elements that have led to the realisation of Vistara, a long cherished dream for the Group that pioneered civil aviation in the country. The creation of a new full-service carrier is a matter of great pride for us”.

TSAL also unveiled the uniforms of crew and staff. Designed by the well-known duo, Abraham Thakore, the ensemble captures the spirit of Vistara – elegant, practical and embodying the best of the Indian tradition.

Mr. Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO, TSAL, said, “We aim to deliver a seamless experience via personalisation of services for guests who travel with us. Our core belief is that we will be intuitively thoughtful about our guests’ needs from the time they contact us to the time they leave the airport. Whether they are leisure or business travellers, we would like to make a significant difference at every stage of their air travel experience, and truly bring back the joy of flying”.

Vistara’s brand name and logo is the result of an exhaustive design and creative process undertaken by India’s premier brand consulting and design company Brand Union Ray+Keshavan. The core values, which form the framework of brand Vistara, include excellence that surpasses customer expectations, thoughtfulness that demonstrates empathy and understanding, trust that upholds integrity, fairness and transparency, innovation to deliver operational excellence and cost leadership, and teamwork by building collaboration and diversity.

The brand personality exudes an elegant and refined spiritedness reflective of a service experience that will be tech savvy, meticulous, and authentic. Vistara aims to anticipate the needs and desires of its customers such that they are imbued with the experience of a welcome guest rather than a seat number.

Mr. Phee Teik Yeoh added, “We aim to build an emotional connect with our guests, through our service excellence delivered by the best people, supported by best in class technology and processes. Vistara will redefine industry standards and aim to be the finest full-service airline of choice”.

Commenting on the significance of SIA operating in India along with Tata, Mr. Swee Wah Mak, Director, TSAL, and Executive Vice-President Commercial, SIA, said, “From a global investor’s perspective the Indian aviation sector has a lot of potential for growth and I am delighted that SIA now has a fruitful role to play here. SIA’s world renowned tradition of service excellence will contribute to the creation of the finest flying experience in the Indian skies through Vistara”.

About TATA SIA Airlines Limited

TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) with Tata Sons holding the majority stake of 51% in the company and SIA holding the remaining 49%. Vistara brings together Tata’s and SIA’s legendary hospitality and renowned service excellence to launch the finest full service carrier in India aimed at creating memorable and personalised flying experiences for its customers. Obsessed with quality, the company aims to set new standards in the aviation industry in India, with international best practices and state-of-the-art technology in the Indian air transport sector.

About the Tata Group

The Tata Group’s core purpose is to improve the quality of life of the communities it serves globally, through long-term stakeholder value creation based on leadership with trust. Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata Group is a global enterprise headquartered in India, and comprises over 100 operating companies with operations in more than 100 countries across six continents, exporting products and services to over 150 countries. The revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was $103.27 billion (around Rs 624,757 crore) in 2013-14, with 67.2 percent of this coming from businesses outside India. Tata companies employ over 581,470 people worldwide. Good corporate citizenship is part of the Tata Group’s DNA. Sixty-six percent of the equity of Tata Sons, the promoter holding company, is held by philanthropic trusts, thereby returning wealth to society. As a result of this unique ownership structure and ethos of serving the community, the Tata name has been respected for more than 140 years and is trusted for its adherence to strong values and business ethics. Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently and has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. There are 32 publicly-listed Tata enterprises and they have a combined market capitalisation of about $132.35 billion (as on August 1, 2014), and a shareholder base of 3.9 million. Tata companies with significant scale include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Teleservices, Titan, Tata Communications and Indian Hotels.

About Singapore Airlines Limited

When Singapore Airlines was formed in 1972, it operated a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to just 22 cities in 18 countries. With a commitment to fleet modernisation, product and service innovation and market leadership, the Airline quickly distinguished itself as a world-class carrier. Today, Singapore Airlines operates a modern passenger fleet of more than 100 aircraft and its network, including Singapore Airlines Cargo and SilkAir destinations, covers a total of 109 destinations in 40 countries. In October 2007, Singapore Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, made aviation history again as the first to fly the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.