AIR INDIA-VISTARA INITIATE MERGER PROCESS

The stakeholders have approached the Competition Commission of India to seek its approval for the merger

The Air India-Vistara merger is in the process of obtaining one of the key approvals required for the business integration. Tata Sons, Singapore Airlines, Air India, and Vistara have approached India’s anti-trust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), to seek its approval for the merger of Air India, the former national carrier, and full-service airline Vistara. The CCI is expected to evaluate potential competition threats and other factors before giving its approval.

Currently, the Tata Group fully owns Air India, while Vistara is a joint venture between the Tata Group (holding 51 per cent share) and Singapore Airlines (holding 49 per cent share). After the merger, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has committed to investing $250 million and will own 25.1 per cent of the merged entity.

The CCI will pay close attention to whether the merged entity will have enough competition on key routes. If the CCI has any concerns about certain aspects of the merger, it will prescribe remedial steps to address them.

To aid the CCI in its evaluation, the following relevant markets have been identified: Horizontal overlaps that include domestic and international passenger air transport, air cargo transport services in India, and chartered flight services in India. Vertical relationships include ground handling services at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram airports.