Vistara Airlines operated its first long-haul flight using its freshly inducted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Delhi to London on Friday, the airlines told news agency PTI.

In a statement, the airlines said that the full-service aircraft is set to fly thrice a week from August 28 to October 24 between the two cities.

The first flight landed in London at 6.55 am (local time) after departing from Delhi at 2:15 am.

The flights are being operated under the bilateral “air bubble” pact signed between India and the United Kingdom amid the travel restrictions induced due to COVID-19.

Vistara said on August 18 that it was seeking necessary regulatory approvals to operate similar special flights to Paris in France and Frankfurt in Germany.

The airline has a fleet of 43 aircraft, including 34 Airbus A320s, one Airbus A321neo, six Boeing 737-800NGs and two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

While it received its first Dreamliner aircraft in February, the second one was received earlier this month.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission and various bilateral air bubble pacts.

Since July, India has established such air bubbles with countries like the US, the UK, France, Germany, the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives. India is negotiating with 13 other countries to establish similar bubbles.

After a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, India resumed domestic passenger flights on May 25.