Vistara (UK, Delhi International) is scouting the market for B787s available for short-term leases to cover delays in new deliveries by Boeing (BOE, Washington National), Chief Executive Vinod Kannan told reporters during the 2022 IATA AGM in Doha.

"I would like to have [more B787s] yesterday. But the facts are that these things do take time... The last thing we want is to hurry and get stuck with an aircraft that we cannot utilise viably," he said.

He underlined that any additional aircraft would be signed only for the time until Boeing hands over Vistara's new B787-9s. The airline is in no rush and wants to make sure that whatever aircraft it sources on an interim basis will be well-suited forto its network in terms of range, payload, and efficiency.

The Indian full-service carrier - a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group - ordered six aircraft of the type from Boeing but took only two prior to last year's suspension in deliveries caused by manufacturing issues. They are currently deployed from Delhi International to Frankfurt International, London Heathrow, and Paris CDG, the ch-aviation schedules module shows.

Kannan underlined that Vistara ias planning to expand its international long-haul market but cannot do so without additional B787s.

"We are looking at increasing frequency. Even for London, we feel like we could do more, we are charting out a plan, but again that is dependent on when we get the aircraft," Kannan said.

Vistara does not operate any other widebody aircraft. Its fleet comprises three A320-200s, thirty-eight A320-200Ns, five A321-200NXes, and five B737-800s. Kannan told ch-aviation recently that the A320ceo and the B737s would be retired over the next 12 months.