Air India Express is set to expand its international reach and enhance connectivity with a strategic plan to add 20 aircraft to its fleet by the end of the financial year. The airline, which recently concluded the merger of AIX Connect with itself, currently operates a fleet of 90 aircraft. With this new expansion, the fleet size of the carrier will grow to over 110 by March 2025, senior officials confirmed.
As part of its growth strategy, Air India Express aims to serve 55 destinations by the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal, strengthening its network on domestic and international routes. The airline is focusing on expanding from smaller cities to major metropolitan hubs, while targeting new overseas routes. In addition to launching new routes in India, Air India Express will commence services on international destinations, including Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, and official told PTI.
Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, shared that the airline's growth will focus on connecting Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which he described as "growth engines" of the market. He highlighted that the largest share of the market lies in metro-to-non-metro routes, adding that the airline's future international network will largely link smaller cities to destinations in the Gulf, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and eventually South Asia, with potential plans to extend to the Far East over the next few years. Also read | IndiGo expands connectivity to northeast India; will operate 11 week.