Ground staff and crew members at Odisha’s Biju Patnaik International Airport bid an emotional farewell to Vistara’s final flight on Monday as the airline prepared for its merger with Air India. The Delhi-bound flight marked the end of Vistara’s independent operations. Later that evening, the merged Air India-Vistara entity operated its first international flight, with flight code ‘AI2286,’ departing from Doha to Mumbai.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Vistara shared its sentiments, saying, “As the plane ascends, so do our dreams; let’s glide toward the future, where the sky isn’t the limit, but just the beginning.”

With the merger, Singapore Airlines, which held a 49% stake in Vistara, will now have a 25.1% stake in Air India. To facilitate a smooth transition for Vistara passengers, Air India has set up additional resources at airports, including help desks. Over time, Vistara’s ticketing and check-in counters will be rebranded under Air India. Vistara’s aircraft will be identified by a unique four-digit Air India code starting with the digit ‘2’.