Air India Express on expansion mode; defers Kolkata-Dhaka direct flight plans

Kolkata: Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust.

The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh.

"You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said.

"As soon as the conditions are right, we will resume those plans," he said.

The airline had initially planned to launch the Dhaka services in September with six weekly flights.

Despite the deferment, Singh said the airline remains committed to expanding its presence in the eastern sector.

He said its international service flights to and from Kathmandu would begin with the summer schedule, starting the end of March 2025.

Singh, speaking to reporters here, also said the airline sees strong growth potential, as daily passenger movement in India in November crossed the 5,00,000 mark.

In order to tap the growth, it aims to increase the fleet size to over 100 aircraft by March 2025, up from the existing 90.

Over the next three years, the fleet size is expected to grow to about 175, Singh said.

He also highlighted that Air India Express is part of the Air India Group, which has announced plans to acquire 470 aircraft at the group level in the next few years.

Singh said the airline’s network expansion would focus on short-haul routes within a 5.5-6 hour range, and on connecting metro cities with tier-II and tier-III destinations, to tap emerging opportunities.

Air India Express currently operates 24 daily flights from Kolkata, which will increase by 10 in the summer schedule. The additions will include new routes and frequency enhancements to existing services.

The airline also plans to increase its night halt capacity in Kolkata from seven aircraft to nine.

Speaking about enhanced connectivity in the northeast, Singh said the airline will introduce a new flight connecting Dimapur with Kolkata.

Patna is another destination for expansion, the top company official said.

He said Air India Express will continue to strengthen its presence in the Gulf and Middle East regions, while expanding into Southeast Asia.

New destinations such as Bangkok, Singapore, Vietnam and Colombo are also under consideration.

Singh said flights to Vietnam could start in the next financial year or the following year. The airline is also exploring opportunities in the CIS countries.

Weekly flight frequencies in Kolkata and Bagdogra have increased by 37 per cent, rising from 168 last winter to over 230, he said.

New direct routes from Kolkata include Port Blair, Indore, and Agartala, while new routes from Bagdogra include Hyderabad and Chennai.

Air India Express operates over 400 daily flights, connecting 36 domestic and 15 international destinations. Its fleet comprises 90 aircraft, including 61 Boeing 737s and 29 Airbus A320s.

The airline’s market share in Kolkata stands at 12 per cent, and 24 per cent when combined with parent company Air India.