The airline, a joint venture between India’s Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Ltd, now has five Airbus A320s in its fleet. It plans to add six aircraft by April, and gradually increase to nine by the end of this year, Vistara CEO Phee Teik Yeoh.

India will buy 38 PC-7 Mark II basic trainers from Pilatus in addition to the 75 aircraft already purchased from the Swiss airframer to meet the need for 181 Basic Trainer Aircraft for Stage I flying training for the Indian air force.

India tends to drag out defense equipment orders, but its increasingly close relationship with Japan augurs well for ShinMaywa’s chances of completing a deal for US-2 amphibians.