Air India Express to Expand NCR Ops with Hindon Airport Flights
Tata Group-owned Air India Express is set to expand its operations in the National Capital Region by launching flights from Hindon Airport on March 1, 2025, as per sources. The airline will connect Hindon to Goa, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, while continuing full operations at IGI Airport.
“Hindon provides a more affordable option to airlines, especially the budget carriers, with much wider time slots available”, sources said.
At present, Hindon handles UDAN flights operated by Star Air. The Air India Express flights will be operated from the civil enclave operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at Hindon, which is an air force station.
This initiative aligns with the airline's efforts to expand its domestic network through the 'Deep India Connect' plan. Currently, Air India Express boasts a fleet size of 94, a significant increase from the 26 aircraft it had under government ownership just two years ago.
Besides, the number of routes served by the airline has more than doubled, with around 400 daily flights compared to 75-77 two years ago.
Under the second phase of its transformation program, Air India Express aims to have a fleet of over 100 aircraft by the end of the current fiscal year, with more domestic and international routes.
Notably, the airline is guided by a five-year-long transformation program, V1Rise, which forms a key part of the ambitious Vihaan initiative of its parent company, Air India.
The recent merger with AIX Connect marked the completion of the first phase of V1Rise, known as ‘Synchronisation’. During this phase, the unified entity unlocked synergies by merging two airlines that previously served niche markets. The former Air India Express was a regional international carrier serving routes between India, the Middle East, and South-east Asia, while AIX Connect served only domestic routes within India.
“The airline aims to have an efficient and deep domestic network during this phase. It will also scale up business and keep costs under control”, sources said.
Air India Express plans to increase flight frequencies to and from tier-II and tier-III cities, aiming to reach 55 stations in FY25, up from 45 in FY24. It currently operates from or to over 50 stations.
Furthermore, the Tata Group-promoted low-cost carrier aims to grow its passenger traffic by over 50 per cent in FY25 versus the previous fiscal year on the back of new routes, a larger fleet size, and operations to new destinations. Accordingly, the airline plans to ferry 2.4 million passengers per month by the end of FY25 from 1.6 million passengers carried per month by the end of FY24.
To drive this expansion, Air India Express aims to operate over 110 aircraft by the end of the financial year. The airline will receive new Boeing 737s and some older Airbus A320s from its parent company, Air India. Currently, Air India Express operates more than 400 daily flights across 35 domestic and 14 international airports, with a fleet of 90 aircraft, including 61 Boeing 737s and 29 Airbus A320s.
