Vistara, Starbucks tie-up for inflight coffee shop

Mumbai: Vistara, a joint venture of India's Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines (SIA), has entered into a unique partnership with global coffee chain Starbucks. The airlines has announced under the tie-up it will serve highly sought-after Starbucks coffee to its passengers.

Vistara says the latest service is part of airline's endeavours towards enhancing in-flight offerings. The services will be available for customers in business class and premium economy class.

"We are delighted to serve @StarbucksIndia coffee as part of the enhanced inflight offerings for Business Class & Premium Economy passengers," Vistara said in a tweet.

With this, Vistara has become first airline in South Asia and South East Asia that will be serving Starbucks coffee in flight, according to NDTV.

Starbucks India Estates Blend, a medium roast coffee sourced from the estates of Coorg and Chickmagalur, at 30,000 feet to offer customers an extraordinary in-flight experience, Vistara said in a statement.

Interestingly, this will be Tata Sons' second business association with Starbucks. Starbucks has opened its outlets at select Taj chain of hotels under an agreement.

"Coffee is not just a beverage; it is a way of life for many people. Vistara aims to transform the flying experience in India forever," NDTV quoted Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh as saying.

Sumitro Ghosh, CEO, Tata Starbucks Private Ltd said that the new collaboration will allow parties to take forward "a joint commitment to provide a distinctive and unparalleled customer experience".

Vistara has expanded its network in a span of just over two years to 19 destinations with over 530 flights every week with a fleet size of 13, according to NDTV.