A subsidiary of the national carrier Air India, with headquarters at Kochi and an engineering center in Thiruvananthapuram, Air India Express is a premier Indian low-cost airline. It was established in early May 2004 but became operational only in April 2005. This airline was launched with the aim of catering to the Malayalee expatriate communities in the Middle East, with its first international flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Abu Dhabi. It operates with the dictum of “simply priceless,” and provides convenient connectivity in the short-range routes at the most affordable prices to passengers This airline operates close to 100 flights per week, mainly from the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
The IATA code for Air India Express is IX.
Air India Express Fleet
The Air India Express fleet consists of 21 state-of-the-art B737-800 Boeing aircraft with only a single class – economy. It offers a seating capacity of 180 per aircraft.
Air India Express Destinations
Air India Express caters to 13 international destinations, mostly in the Middle East and South Asia, from 12 Indian cities. It operates nearly 100 flights per week from the South Indian states of India like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala to major international destinations within about 4 hrs of travel time. Most of the flights are quick-turn-around ones, with ground time of around one hour at the destinations.
Air India Express flies to 13 international destinations, including Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Muscat, Salalah, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Colombo and Dhaka, from 12 Indian cities of Kozhikode, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Mangalore and Tiruchirapally.
Air India Express On board Facilities
Air India Express ensures comfortable flights with services like free standardized meals and limited on-board entertainment facilities, complementary refreshments and mineral water. One can also order from the available snacks and reading material on-board. Snacks and food can also be pre-ordered while booking tickets online.
Air India Express Ground Facilities
Refreshments and comfortable lounge area are available, along with the other standard ground facilities.
Air India Express Online Booking
One can conveniently book Air India Express tickets online via the dedicated web based reservation system. Facilities like selecting the seat of your choice and pre-booking of excess baggage of up to 5 kg and 10 kg from India to the Gulf countries can be done at a nominal price. Customers can also seek assistance from the 24*7 call centre. One can also use features like “lowest fare finder” while booking via the web system.
Before You Head To The Airport
Travelers with infants can check-in with a maximum of baggage weighing 10 kg, while other passengers are allowed 7 kg. You can check the flight status online and if bookings have been done via credit card, one would need to carry the credit card or a self-attested copy of it for verification at the check-in counter, along with the other particulars and identity proof.