Air-India Express is a low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India. Air-India Express promises to offer trips to the Gulf from India at 25% lower fares than Air India, will operate on a zero-commission basis. Operations are expected to continue with three aircraft.

With flying becoming more and more popular in India, a large group of customers are demanding low cost international flights like the new low-cost domestic private airlines. To help meet this need and expand the airline, Air India spun off Air India Express as its low-cost avatar. Currently operating in Gulf & Middle Eastern routes and some Southeast Asian routes, the sister airline has plans for expansion into Europe and America with the arrival of new aircraft.

The airline was established in May 2004 and started operations on April 28, 2005 from Thiruvananthapuram. Their first Boeing 737 had been delivered in February 2005.

Services are from the State of Kerala, New Delhi and Mumbai to Gulf destinations and from Chennai to South East Asia.

Initial plans for the airline fleet included delivery of 18 Boeing 737-837 winglet-equipped aircraft over two years. Delivery of the first aircraft for Air-India Express took place on 22 February 2005 when a new production Boeing 737-86Q (leased from Boullioun Aviation Services) was handed over. Operations are expected to start with three aircraft and the other two Boeing 737-8BKs are being leased from CIT Leasing.

Air India Express
Founded: 2005
Hubs: Trivandrum International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Focus cities / secondary hubs: Kozhikode International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Sahar Airport
Chennai International Airport
Fleet size: 7
Destinations: 11
Parent company: Air India Charters Ltd.
Headquarters: Mumbai

Website: http://www.airindiaexpress.in/airindiaexpress/home.asp

Destinations

Indian Subcontinent

* India
o Mumbai (Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport)
o New Delhi (Indira Gandhi International Airport)
o Kochi (Cochin International Airport)
o Kozhikode (Kozhikode Airport)
o Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum International Airport)
o Chennai (Chennai International Airport)

Gulf Region

* Oman
o Muscat (Seeb International Airport)
o Salalah (Salalah Airport)

* United Arab Emirates
o Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi International Airport)
o Dubai (Dubai International Airport)
o Al Ain (Al Ain International Airport)
o Sharjah (Sharjah International Airport)

South East Asia

* Malaysia
o Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur International Airport)

* Singapore
o Singapore (Changi International Airport)