Air India Express
| File:Official Logo of Air India Express.jpg | |||||||
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| Fleet size | 20+3 (On order) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destinations | 13 (International) + 13 (Domestic) | ||||||
| Parent company | Air India Limited | ||||||
| Headquarters | Kochi | ||||||
| Key people | Ashwani Lohani (Chairman) K. Shyam Sundar (CEO) | ||||||
| Website | www.airindiaexpress.in | ||||||
Air India Express is the first international Low-cost carrier from India. Air India Charters Limited (AICL), headquartered at Kochi, Kerala, operates the airline under this brand name. AICL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India Limited.[1] It operates more than 200 flights per week connecting India to Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Overview
Air India Express was born on April 29, 2005, with three flights, taking off simultaneously from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The Airline was launched as a low-cost carrier with the objective of providing convenient connectivity, to short haul international routes, in the Middle East and South East Asia at affordable prices. Air India Express was Air India’s strategic response to the growing popularity of LCC’s worldwide and in the region. The airline’s target segments are the Indian expatriate and budget / leisure travelers. The airline aims at providing non-stop, no frills service to its customers. The Airline’s vision at this time is to become India’s most efficient and preferred LCC on regional international routes; constantly exceeding passenger expectations, in terms of quality, convenience and comfort.
Being a low cost airline, the airline operates point to point flights without any hub. In December 2012, the Air India board ratified the proposal to move the headquarters to Kochi in January 2013 and for establishing a new MRO base at Thiruvananthapuram.[2][3] As on date, Air India Express has 375 weekly departures, involving about 1400 flight hours at an average stage length of about 3.75 hours. In terms of capacity, the Airline offers about 170 million ASKMs per week.The Airline’s distribution system is entirely web-based. In addition to on-line reservations and bookings, the RES System also supports on line booking / payments for ancillary services such as advance seat reservation, excess baggage, travel insurance, etc. Along with maintaining on time performance and close to 100 % schedule integrity, Air India Express has launched initiatives for improved customer satisfaction. The airline has increased free baggage allowance for in-bound passengers to 30 kilos. On-line visa facility for visit to UAE has also been introduced to facilitate hassle free journey. Responding to a long standing demand, the airline plans to offer the passengers the option to buy special meal of their choice online. Dedicated Air India Express Mobile App for making and modifying bookings is also available.[4]
Destinations
Air India Express operates more than 200 flights per week, mainly from southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala in India. Air India Express has expanded its operations to New Delhi with the introduction of daily flights between Delhi- Dubai and Delhi - Sharjah in its Summer Schedule 2016. The summer schedule has also witnessed increased operations from Mumbai. Two new services between Mumbai- Dubai and Mumbai – Sharjah started in April, 2016. .[5]
On the Kerala-Gulf sector, with the introduction of the new schedule, in a phased manner from 28th March, 2016, the frequency increased to 119 flights per week . Air India Express has increased its focus in the Kozhikode market, the largest revenue centre of the airline, by enhancing offered capacity to an all time high of 11718 seats per week. The frequency between Kozhikode and Dubai is being doubled from daily to two flights per day. [6]The passengers are offered a morning departure flight, in addition to the night departure flight to Dubai. Air India Express has also introduced daily two separate non-stop services between Kozhikode and Bahrain & Doha in the new schedule. Ras Al Khaimah is being introduced as a new destination with a frequency of 4 flights per week from Kozhikode.[7] This flight is shared with Al Ain, thereby increasing the frequency of flights between Al Ain and Kozhikode also to 4 flights per week. On Monday and Friday the flight will be routed as Kozhikode – Al Ain – Ras Al Khaimah – Kozhikode and on Wednesday and Saturday, the flight will be operated as Kozhikode – Ras Al Khaimah – Al Ain – Kozhikode. Nonstop Kozhikode to Dammam service four times a week is also a highlight of the summer schedule. There are 5 flights per week to Kuwait from Kozhikode. Non- stop Dammam flights from Cochin is another major attraction of the summer schedule, 2016. Frequency of flights between Thiruvananthapuram and Dubai has also increased.[8]
Fleet
The airline took delivery of the first aircraft on 22 February 2005 when it leased a new Boeing 737-86Q from Boullioun Aviation Services. Air India had originally planned to convert 3 of its existing Boeing 777 orders into 10-11 Boeing 737 MAX orders but later decided to stick with the original order.[9] As of June 2016[update], Air India Express fleet included the following aircraft:[10]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 20 | 3 | 189 | 3 being leased from GECAS - 2 in 2016 and 1 in 2017[11] |
| Total | 20 | 3 |
Accidents and incidents
- On 22 May 2010, Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800 (registered VT-AXV), flying on the Dubai–Mangalore route overshot runway 24 on landing at Mangalore Airport, killing 152 passengers and six crew members of the 166 people on board. The aircraft crashed into a wooded valley at the end of the runway and burst into flames. There were eight survivors and eight scheduled passengers who did not board the aircraft.[12][13][14][15][16]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/air-india-to-achieve-fiscal-targets-two-years-in-advance/article8651036.ece
- ^ Ramavarman, T. "Shifting of Air India Express headquarters to Kochi gets nod." Times of India. 14 December 2012. Retrieved on 5 February 2013.
- ^ Staff Reporter. "Air India Express route scheduling from city soon." The Hindu. 7 January 2013. Retrieved on 5 February 2013.
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/flight-plan/lowcost-but-high-profit/article8437990.ece
- ^ Air India Express to connect Delhi
- ^ http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/companies/air-india-express-starts-2nd-service-on-kozhikode-dubai-sector/271550/
- ^ http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/news/Air-India-Express-to-Start-Flights-to-Ras-al-Khaimah-International-Airport/2016/02/13/article3275458.ece
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/air-india-express-to-increase-flights-in-keralagulf-sector/article8193536.ece
- ^ Air India nixes proposal
- ^ Air India Express : About Us
- ^ "Perfect 10 for Air India Express". Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Jet crash kills 158 in India; 8 survive". 23 May 2010.
- ^ "Indian official: 158 dead in Air India plane crash in Mangalore". Wire Update/BNO News. 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Air India flight from Dubai crashes in India". MSNBC. 21 May 2010.
- ^ "Casualties feared in Air India crash". CNN. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "India plane crash in Mangalore leaves nearly 160 dead". BBC News. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
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