Summary
- The first of AirAsia India’s Airbus A320s recently joined the fleet of Air India Express.
- The merger of the two airlines will result in the diversification of Air India Express’ fleet.
- Air India Express will eventually receive more than 25 A320s from AirAsia India and also strengthen its Boeing 737 fleet with the addition of the MAX series of aircraft.
The upcoming merger of Air India Express and AirAsia India is already reshaping the fleets of the carriers, with an Airbus A320 joining the Boeing 737s of Air India Express. This is the first of many such transfers that will take place in the coming days as both airlines merge their fleets. The development also comes close on the heels of Air India Express receiving its first two Boeing 737 MAX planes from the major aircraft deal signed by Air India earlier this year.
A320 enters Air India Express’ fleet
For the first time ever, an Airbus A320 aircraft entered the fleet of low-cost international airline Air India Express. The plane previously belonged to AirAsia India and marks the first of many such transfers ahead of the business integration of both airlines.
Photo: Airbus
The Tata Group is creating a consolidated low-cost entity by combining the two carriers and operating under the Air India Express brand name. This will also mark a diversification of aircraft type for Air India Express, which has always operated an all-Boeing-737 fleet. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said,
“VT-ATJ, at A320 originally from Air Asia India, became the first to transfer into the Air India Express fleet after completing DGCA’s detailed five-phase CAP3100 process … This transfer will be progressively followed by all other aircraft so that, eventually, our two LCCs (low-cost carriers) become one and we have full flexibility to deploy aircraft in the most optimal and efficient manner across our low-cost network”
The 2.3-year-old A320neo was delivered to AirAsia India in 2021 and has flown 2,888 hours as of June this year. So far, it has only flown domestically in India, as AirAsia India does not fly internationally. But that could soon change as Air India Express primarily focuses on flights to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Fleet development
Air India Express is slated for a significant fleet development due to the merger. Not only will it receive more than 25 A320s of AirAsia India, but also strengthen its Boeing 737 fleet by adding the MAX series of aircraft in the coming years.
In fact, it recently received its first two 737 MAXs, marking the beginning of the deliveries of more than 150 of the type ordered for the airline. The two MAXs that recently flew to India were part of the 55 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft initially meant for various Chinese carriers.
With the aircraft type facing delivery delays in China in the last few years, Boeing had several of them gathering dust. Some of these were eventually assigned to Air India Express after discussions with Chinese airlines.
Photo: Preston Fiedler | Simple Flying
Growing synergy
With a new development every other week, it seems that the official merger of Air India Express and AirAsia India will be inked soon. Passengers can already travel across both airlines’ domestic and international networks on a single PNR and book tickets on a common website.
Air India Express also started offering passengers a wider range of meal options earlier this year by adopting AirAsia India’s in-flight dining brand Gourmair. It’ll be interesting to see how a renewed Air India Express will impact the low-cost aviation market in the country in the coming years.
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