The NDA government has given its assent to Tata-SIA's joint venture Vistara Airlines to fly on international routes. The approval will make Vistara the fifth Indian carrier to fly overseas

"We are closely working with the ministry of civil aviation. Specific details will be shared at an appropriate time," a Vistara Spokesperson told Financial Express online.

The airline's first flight could be to Colombo, Sri Lanka, however, there is no notification of a concrete date yet, the news website reported.

Vistara wanted to launch its international operations last year but could not get the government assent, however, the airline had already added 60 aircraft for its international operations anticipating government clearance.

"We are hopeful of getting the permission to fly international soon," Leslie Thng, CEO, Vistara had earlier said at CAPA Aviation Summit.

He further said that the airline had earlier hoped to start the international operations before the end of 2018 but was still awaiting it till February last month and was deploying the resources in the country.

Meanwhile, the airline also diversified its domestic flights by announcing 16 new daily flights to new routes including including Delhi-Raipur, Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Bagdogra and Delhi-Jammu amongst others.

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Vistara also announced it would provide free sanitary napkins to women (who request for them) on-board its flights, becoming the first airline to do so. "The airline will provide ISO 9001:2015 certified, bio-degradable and organic sanitary napkins made from plant-based fibres that are free of plastic, toxins and perfume," Vistara had said just before Women's Day.

The airline will complete five years of its operations next year after it was launched in the year 2015. The Tata Group has a 51 per cent stake in Vistara while Singapore Airlines owns the rest.