Air India Express
India · EXPRESS INDIA · Active
Airline Identity
History
Air India Express was launched in 2005 as the international low-cost subsidiary of state-owned Air India, initially focused on connecting Indian cities with the Gulf. Following the Tata Group's acquisition of Air India in October 2021, the Tata-owned Air India Group announced in 2022-2023 a plan to merge Air India Express with AIX Connect (the former AirAsia India, in which Tata already held a majority stake), consolidating both under the Air India Express brand. That merger was formally completed on 1 October 2024, creating a substantially enlarged low-cost carrier.
Current Operations
Air India Express is the low-cost arm of the Tata Group-owned Air India Group, operating roughly 110 aircraft — a mix of Airbus A320-family jets and Boeing 737-800/MAX 8s — on more than 500 daily flights to around 45 domestic and 17 international destinations, with a strong focus on Gulf and Southeast Asian routes. Its hub network is centered on Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, and it holds codeshare and interline links with parent Air India and with Singapore's Scoot. The carrier is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, having relocated from Kochi in late 2023 as part of the Air India Group's post-Tata-acquisition restructuring.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.