Air India Express

Air India CEO weighs folding budget unit into group to cut costs

Tewolde Gebremariam is considering merging Air India Express with Air India to cut costs and streamline operations as the carrier battles heavy losses

IndiGo, Air India battle for Mumbai-Delhi route as Akasa doubles flights

IndiGo held 42.8 per cent of seat capacity during April-September, narrowly ahead of Air India Group's 41.9 per cent, while Akasa Air's share climbed to 10.7 per cent

Air India seeks $1.5bn: How much risk does Singapore Airlines carry?

Air India's losses have weighed on SIA's accounts, but the Singapore government said the carrier is not obliged to fund the latest capital request

Air India Express flight returns to Kochi after engine oil pressure drops

The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport. Passengers on board were unaware of how serious the situation had become

Air India Express introduces new uniforms for cabin crew, frontline staff

Air India Express has introduced new uniforms that bring together design elements from different Indian states for its cabin crew and frontline staff. There are also certain changes in the uniforms of pilots of the Tata Group-owned airline. "Launched from 1 September, the uniforms are being introduced across cabin crew, airport services, aviation security, and flight operations teams," Air India Express said in a release on Wednesday. Of the airline's total strength of around 8,000, new uniforms will be issued to over 5,200 staff, excluding pilots, as their uniforms require only a few changes. "Drawing from the same inspiration, the uniforms incorporate design elements influenced by Tamil Nadu's Kanjeevaram, Himachal Pradesh's Pattu, Gujarat's Patola, Assam's Gamosa and Madhya Pradesh's Bagh," the release said. Anchored in vibrant Xpress Blue palette and accented with its signature Xpress Orange, the uniforms were designed in-house by the airline's designer Pooja Krishnan. Accord

Two Air India Group pilots test non-negative in initial drug screening

Two pilots of the Air India Group have failed the initial drug test as their results came "non-negative" and their samples have been sent for confirmatory tests, according to a source. On August 13, Air India and Air India Express started mandatory psychoactive substance testing of all their pilots, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements. These tests were made mandatory following the August 4 incident, when the captain of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight, that suddenly lost altitude, tested positive for marijuana. The source on Monday said psychoactive substance tests have been completed for around 400 pilots of the Air India Group so far. Of them, the initial screening test results have come "non-negative" for two pilots, the source said. Specific details could not be immediately ascertained. There was no official comment from Air India. The two Tata Group-owned airlines have more than 5,000 pilots. The comprehensive screening covers substances and medications prohibi

Air India Express sale: Save up to 20% on flights; how to get extra 10% off

Bookings are open until 16 August 2026 for travel between 16 August 2026 and 31 October 2026

Air India pilots seeking command will have to shift to Express first

Air India pilots who are eligible and want to become commanders on narrow- and wide-body planes will be compulsorily required to shift to Air India Express, with the Tata Group-owned loss-making airline putting in place a new framework based on a common seniority pool, according to sources. Under the framework, senior first officers shifting to Air India Express for narrow-body Boeing 737 planes will be given a one-time bonus of Rs 10 lakh and the existing commanders of these aircraft at Air India Express will be paid Rs 21 lakh over a three-year period, the sources said. Upon getting the commandership, the sources said such pilots will be required to be at the operating base chosen by Air India Express for at least two years, which can be extended by up to six months. Once that period is complete, they would be allowed to choose their operating base depending on eligibility. There was no official comment from Air India on the new framework. Two senior pilots, who are with Air Indi

Air India Group expects 50-60 new planes in 18 months: Nipun Aggarwal

Air India Group expects to get 50-60 new aircraft in the next 18 months and the transformation programme is on track even as the airlines' industry has been impacted by multiple black swan events, according to a senior executive. Loss-making Air India was acquired by Tata Group in January 2022 and the airline is in the middle of an ambitious transformation plan. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, said there have been "tonnes of learning" in the last few years and that it was a complex as well as challenging" project. "I think this industry itself has gone through several challenges. And we have been hit by multiple black swan events, which I don't think anybody could have forecasted when we started this transformation journey. "The supply chain issues, the airspace issues, the oil price volatility, and the geopolitical issues," he said. Aggarwal, who spoke after a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi on July 15, said the group was dea

Air India, AI Express planes come face-to-face on runway at Mumbai airport

Two Air India and Air India Express planes came face-to-face on the same runway at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening, with the Air India aircraft aborting its take-off run on the air traffic controller's instructions to avert a possible disaster, sources said. The incident took place at around 10 pm. The Air India Express plane was yet to vacate the runway after landing when the Delhi-bound Air India aircraft was preparing to take off from the same runway, the sources said. In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said the take-off run was aborted following instructions from the air traffic controller. Specific details were not disclosed. Air India flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi was to be operated with a wide-body Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, while the Air India Express flight AIX1547 that landed from Siliguri was operated with the narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane, the sources said. "The crew operating flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi on July 7 discontinued the take-off

Air India Express to open bookings for inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi

Air India Group's low-cost arm Air India Express is set to start international flights from greenfield Navi Mumbai Airport to Abu Dhabi on July 15, with the opening of bookings for the inaugural flight likely to be announced on Saturday, according to a source. On June 17, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL) chief executive officer BVJK Sharma told the media that the airport was looking to start international operations for passengers and freight services from July 15. The Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai Airport, in which the Maharashtra government's urban planning and infrastructure development agency Cidco also holds a 26 per cent stake, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year. It commenced domestic commercial operations on December 25, 2025. Air India Express is set to start its international services from NMIA to Abu Dhabi on July 15, and the bookings for the airline's new overseas services are set to be opened from today, making it the first

AI Express flight from Kannur to Jeddah returns due to technical snag

An Air India Express flight bound to Jeddah from Kannur returned within two hours of the flight on Tuesday due to a technical issue, airport sources said. The aircraft with over 180 passengers took off at 7.40 am from Kannur airport, but around two hours into the flight, the pilots found a technical issue and decided to return, the sources said. "The flight landed safely in Kannur. We will know what the problem is hereafter," they said.

Successor will have 'hands full': Air India CEO amid operational challenges

Air India, which has reported heavy losses, has also faced a series of safety lapses

Air India begins op to Ludhiana's Halwara airport with daily Delhi flights

Air India will operate two daily flights between Delhi and Ludhiana using its A320 family aircraft

Air India CEO search narrows to Singapore Air exec Kannan, insider Aggarwal

The choice of a new CEO comes at a crucial time for Air India, which is grappling with heavy losses, heightened regulatory scrutiny after a deadly crash last year

Right time to hand over reins for Air India's growth: Campbell Wilson

Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on Tuesday told the staff that it was the right time to hand over the reins for the airline's next phase of growth. Wilson, who has decided to resign, has been at the helm for four years since mid-2022 and will remain with the airline to ensure a smooth succession. "I am incredibly proud of what you have achieved, especially in the face of unprecedented headwinds in the form of aircraft delivery and supply chain challenges, two wars, crippling airspace closures and fuel prices and, most acutely, tragedy," Wilson said. He said that it was the right time to hand over the reins of the airline. "With a brief window until bulk deliveries from the nearly 600-strong aircraft order book commence in earnest from 2027, the time is right for me to hand over the reins for the next phase of Air India's rise," Wilson said. The loss-making airline, acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022, has been facing various headwinds

Air India revises fuel surcharge on domestic, int'l routes amid rising cost

Distance-based charges now apply on domestic flights, with higher surcharges on international routes amid rising jet fuel costs from supply chain disruptions

Air India and Express to operate 20 flights to and from West Asia today

All Air India flights to and from North America, Europe, Australia and other regions continue to operate per schedule

Air India to run 22 flights to West Asia on March 27 amid high demand

All other Air India flights connecting to North America, Europe, Australia and other global regions will operate as scheduled

IndiGo appoints former Air India Express MD Aloke Singh as CSO from April 6

IndiGo has appointed former Air India Express MD Aloke Singh as chief strategy officer from April 6, as the airline navigates leadership changes and expansion plans