Air India Express will be low-cost carrier

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Mumbai May 24

Air India Express will be the low-cost carrier (LCC) face of the new entity Air India, as it will be known after the completion of the merger of Air India and Indian.

"Alliance Air and Air India Express will join as one company called Air India Express, which will operate as low cost carrier on domestic as well as international routes," the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Mr V. Thulasidas, told presspersons as Air India Express inducted seventh Boeing 737-800 in its fleet.

This takes the fleet size of the airline to 14 aircraft, seven of which are on lease and the rest are owned by the airline.

The low-cost carrier would have 25 aircraft by next year from the existing Air India Express, including the leased ones, Mr Thulasidas said. The leased aircraft were under five-year period, he added. From Alliance Air, the LCC would have four ATRs for the time being, operating in the North East region in the country. However, plans to induct regional jets and more ATRs were also on the anvil, he said.

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