After the big bang event in Delhi to reveal the Air India brand and livery efforts in August 2023, the group’s low-cost brand, Air India Express, is all set for its reveal.

Air India Express’ growth strategy

Earlier in 2023, Air India, on a group level, ordered 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus towards their expansion plans. The order book included 190 737 MAX Aircraft and 50 Options. While the merger of Air India Express and AirAsia India progresses, the airlines now function under common management. They are still operating with two different Air Operators Certificates and two different fleets, though (AirAsia India was an A320 operator), and Air India Express is a Boeing 737 operator. However, some A320s are now being crossed over to Air India Express to operate flights internationally.

Air India’s CMD, Campbell Wilson, recently remarked that Air India Express will become the primary workhorse of domestic expansion for the airline group in India, which means that the scale of Air India Express will grow manifold compared to the current size. At the moment, the airline has the following aircraft in its fleet:

• 26 Boeing 737-800 aircraft (mostly legacy Air India Express, some absorbed from Vistara)
• 23 Airbus A320ceo (from AirAsia India)
• 5 Airbus A320neo (from AirAsia India)

Air India Express will be taking delivery of 2-3 aircraft every month from here on and intends to take delivery of about 50 aircraft by the end of 2024.

Air India Express gets delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX.

A significant part of the orders for Air India Express were not-taken-up aircraft from Boeing, which were initially assembled for other carriers, presumably Chinese. Since China was delaying the removal of the grounding from the MAX aircraft, Boeing decided to offer these aircraft to other airlines, perhaps at a very sweet price. Air India’s first few 737 MAX aircraft will be those that were manufactured for other carriers but are now being delivered to Air India / Express. The number could go up to 50-55 as well.

Boeing had been preparing two such aircraft for delivery for Air India Express, and the first such aircraft was delivered to the team from Air India Express at the Boeing facilities in Washington, USA, on September 27, 2023. This aircraft produced 4.4 years ago for Shanghai Airlines, arrived in India and was registered as VT-BXA. VT-BXD, the second aircraft, followed two days later.

Air India Express website revamped.

Air India Express has gotten a new look and feel of its new website, which might indicate the new look for the airline and the logo that we spotted before. The functionality of the integrated website was already launched before, so this is a new wrapper in terms of the look of the airline that the website is sporting. As you can note, the airline’s website has gone with an orange colour, along with teal, which should also give us an idea of the colour combinations for the airline later. The website also uses a stylised X but with the Jharokha (window) of Air India.

Air India Express is set to reveal the transformation of the airline on October 18

Air India is now preparing to launch the revamped airline brand, and the look will most likely be revealed alongside one of the aircraft for the airline, painted in the airline’s new colours. From what we’ve heard, the tail art, which is unique for Air India Express, will be retained as it allows for a different tail for each aircraft. Aloke Singh, the Managing Director of Air India Express, will preside over the event.

Bottomline

Air India Express will throw its hat in the ring for a serious contender in India’s local aviation market after being a low-cost airline serving Middle Eastern routes for a long time. The airline will reveal its transformation plans and reveal its new aircraft and livery next week at an event. In the leadup to the event, the airline has already launched a new website.

What changes do you anticipate with Air India Express in the coming years?

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