Air India Express is planning to induct 50 new B737 MAX planes in the upcoming 15 months as the Tata Group boosts its aviation business.
The combined entity of Air India Express and AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India will launch its new brand on October 18.
In a message to staff this week, Air India Express and AIX Connect Managing Director Aloke Singh said key milestones have been achieved including migration to a common reservations and check-in system.
The combined entity, at present, has a fleet of 56 aircraft, including 26 B737, 2 B737 MAX, 5 A320 neo and 23 A320.
"Over the next 15 months, a total of 50 new B737 MAX aircraft will join the LCC fleet, allowing us to grow our network to new destinations and increase flights on existing routes," Singh said.
The focus, according to him, is now on the preparedness for deploying this capacity and that already, over 800 aircrew and other operational personnel were under various stages of training.
Together, the combined entity operates around 2,700 flights every week, out of which nearly 700 are operated by Air India Express and the rest by AIX Connect. There are 14 international destinations out of the 44 destinations where they fly to.
The combined entity will be the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) of the Tata Group that took over the reins of Air India and Air India Express in January 2022.
"On the integration front, key milestones have been achieved; these include migration to a common reservations and check-in system, a common website and agent portal, aligned product and service offerings, and above all, use of a common brand and domain," Singh said in the message.
Tata Group in the process of consolidating its airline business
Apart from Air India Express-AIX Connect integration, Air India is merging Vistara with itself.
Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, in which the former holds a 51 per cent stake.
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and air traffic is also on the rise.
(With PTI inputs)
