Air India Express

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

Check unnecessary expenses, Air India CEO tells staff amid West Asia war

The Air India Group has been significantly impacted by the Middle East conflict and the financial impact is "yet to be fully felt", according to Air India chief Campbell Wilson, who has also stressed the need for having a tighter-than-ever control of unnecessary expenditure. Loss-making Air India and Air India Express have been grappling with operational disruptions like other airlines since the start of the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran on February 28. "In the three weeks since the conflict started, we have had to cancel around 2,500 flights to the region. As of today, we can operate only around 30 per cent of our normal Middle East schedule because airports and/or airspace are closed, or are assessed to be beyond our safety threshold," Wilson said in a message to the staff on Friday. The airline's flights to the UK, Europe, and North America, are also taking longer flight paths due to airspace restrictions in the region, resulting in more fuel consumption. Wilson sa

Air India, AI Express to operate 48 flights to and from West Asia today

These flights are being operated with the requisite permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities

Air India, AI Express to operate 80 flights to and from West Asia on Mar 14

Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one round-trip each from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode and Mumbai

Air India, AI Express to operate 80 West Asia flights on Saturday

Air India and Air India Express will operate 80 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 14. The ongoing conflict in the region, involving the US, Israel and Iran, has significantly disrupted flight operations. According to a statement, both airlines will operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat on March 14 (Saturday) -- a total of 18 flights. "In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate a total of 62 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time," it said. Air India will operate one round-trip from Delhi and two round-trips from Mumbai to Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate one flight each from Kozhikode and Mangaluru to Jeddah and back. "Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one ...

Air India, Air India Express to operate 58 flights to West Asia today

The two carriers will also operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat with a total of 10 flights to and from Jeddah, and 08 scheduled flights to and from Muscat