A blend of 30% SAF and 70% conventional jet fuel was used on a ferry flight between Charleston International Airport, South Carolina to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, which resulted in the reduction of approximately 1,50,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over the fuel’s life cycle.
GURUGRAM – Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of TATA Group and Singapore Airlines, became the first Indian airline to operate a commercial domestic flight on a wide-body aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This historic feat was achieved on Vistara’s brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, flying from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai using a blend of 17% SAF with 83% conventional jet fuel. On this flight, Vistara was able to reduce approximately 10,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions. This pioneering initiative is part of Vistara’s ongoing efforts to minimize carbon footprint and support a sustainable future for the aviation industry.
Last month, Vistara operated a wide-body aircraft on a long-haul international route using sustainable aviation fuel, first time for an Indian airline. A blend of 30% SAF and 70% conventional jet fuel was used on a ferry flight between Charleston International Airport, South Carolina to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, which resulted in the reduction of approximately 1,50,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over the fuel’s life cycle.
On this occasion, Mr. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We have always been committed to driving sustainability and innovation in aviation, and are delighted to carry out yet another industry-first initiative of operating a commercial flight on a wide-body using SAF. We are thankful to our partners and the relevant authorities for their support.”
Vistara, along with other airline companies of the TATA group, has been working extensively towards reduction of carbon emissions through use of sustainable technologies. Last year, they had signed an MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum to collaborate on the research, development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Vistara is also working through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), to lower CO2 emissions for international flights and to curb the industry’s impact on climate change.
Vistara is India’s highest-rated airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and it has been the winner of several ‘Best Airline’ awards, besides being lauded for world-class cabin cleanliness and upholding high safety standards. The airline has recently been featured amongst World’s Top 20 Airlines while being recognised as the ‘Best Airline in India and Southern Asia’ for the second time in a row, ‘Best Airline Staff Service in India and Southern Asia’ for the fourth consecutive year, ‘Best Cabin Crew in India and Southern Asia’ for the second time in a row and ‘Best Business Class in India and Southern Asia’ at the coveted Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022. Vistara was also named the ‘Best Overall Airline’ in Central/Southern Asia at the 2023 Regional Passenger Choice Awards. Additionally, Vistara had recently received the ch-aviation Asia’s Third Youngest Airline Fleet award for the second consecutive year.
Club Vistara wins big at Freddie Awards 2023
Also, Club Vistara, the frequent flyer program of Vistara, has won three awards at the prestigious annual Freddie Awards 2023. Club Vistara, was named ‘Program of the Year’ besides winning ‘Best Promotion’ and ‘Best Redemption Ability’ awards at the ceremony held at The Smithsonian, Washington DC.
Club Vistara aced the Freddie Awards with flying colours competing against some of the biggest and oldest frequent flyer programs of Middle East & Asia/Oceania.
In line with its customer-centric approach, Club Vistara has been consistently enhancing the offerings of its lifestyle program with the sole objective of ensuring an elevated experience to its growing member base. The program currently offers value based earning and easy redempetions of flights and upgrades as low as 2000 CV Points and 500 CV points respectively. It recently introduced online complimentary voucher extension and points extension features that offer more flexibility and ease in redeeming CV Points for Award Flights or Upgrades. Club Vistara has also been running several exclusive promotions like the 100% Points Back offer, the Redemption Sale, the Incredible Premium offer, and the Points Transfer Fest which have been well received by its members. To further engage its member base, the program launched interactive campaigns like Club Vistara Escapades, which provided members with an opportunity to win exclusive getaways and immersive experiences, as well as a chance to share their adventures with the world through social media.
Speaking about the achievement, Deepak Rajawat, Chief Commercial Officer, Vistara, said, “It is extremely heartening for all of us at Vistara to get recognised at such a prestigious global platform. It is also an encouragement for us to continue delighting our frequent flyer program members by offering them best rewards and travel experiences We would like to sincerely thank all our loyal members for their faith in us and express gratitude to the Freddie Awards for these recognitions.”
The Freddie Awards, established in 1988, are internationally recognized as one of the most coveted accolades in the travel industry and are voted for by frequent flyers and hotel patrons. The awards recognize excellence in six categories, including Program of the Year, Best Promotion, Best Redemption Ability, Best Customer Service, Best Elite Program, and Best Loyalty Credit Card.
Club Vistara is a free-to-join program that offers its members special benefits and privileges like Award Flights, Upgrade Awards, and much more. Vistara remains committed to continue enhancing the program further and ensuring that its members have a memorable experience whenever and wherever they travel.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
