Summary
- Air India Express could reportedly expand its international operations this winter as it adds more planes to its fleet.
- The airline has recently received deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and is also in the process of acquiring Airbus A320 planes through its merger with AirAsia India.
- Along with the Middle East, several Southeast Asian countries are on the carrier’s wish list.
Even as Air India Express has massive long-term plans, it has its eyes firmly set on immediate expansion as well. The carrier has wanted to increase its international footprint for a long time, but a stagnant fleet didn’t allow it to grow as much as it wanted. But, with more planes joining its fleet in the coming months, Air India Express is reportedly preparing for more international flights this winter.
More planes, more routes
Air India Express could increase its presence in the Middle East and add more destinations in Southeast Asia this winter. According to a report by Businessworld, the airline is looking to expand international operations in the busy travel season as it receives more planes.
Air India Express has started taking deliveries of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from the large order placed by Air India earlier this year. Its first two MAX planes recently arrived from the Boeing factory in Seattle.
Photo: Air India Express
But that’s not all. With its merger with AirAsia India underway, Air India Express has started accepting the Airbus A320 planes of the former, and according to sources, will add five more A320s in the winter months.
This means that the budget carrier will have seven additional planes to cater to the high demand of travelers to popular destinations in the Middle East during the winter months. Just this month alone, Air India Express has more than 2,500 return flights between India and several locations in the Gulf, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, and Jeddah, among others.
Southeast Asia in consideration, too
While the airline has a massive presence in the Middle East, the same can’t be said about Southeast Asia. Air India Express currently only flies to Singapore from three Indian cities – Madurai, Chennai, and Tiruchirappalli.
But sources have revealed that the carrier is considering flying to other popular destinations, including Thailand and Malaysia. Of course, no official announcements have been made regarding any of this, but these destinations have been on Air India Express’ wish list for some time.
Photo: WeChitra | Shutterstock
At the Routes Asia 2022 event in Da Nang, Vietnam, Air India Express’ Chief of Commercial Tara Naidu said that the airline was exploring around 30 countries, including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam.
With more aircraft coming, Air India Express will likely follow that plan aggressively in the coming years. It remains to be seen if some of these destinations will be added this winter season itself.
Growth
Air India Express has already started preparing for its massive growth. Around 350 pilots will join active duty at the carrier over the next year, and 50 new MAX aircraft will also be inducted over the next 15 months.
Photo: Jahidul-hasan | Shutterstock
Even as it expands aggressively in terms of fleet size, Air India Express has maintained that it will continue to target only the low-cost market, leaving premium routes to its full-service parent airline, Air India.
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Source: Businessworld