Air India Express completes 1 year of operations

Mumbai, Apr 29: Air India Express, the low cost subsidiary airline of Air India, today completed one year of successful operation and is set to expand its operations soon.

The airline, launched amidst fanfare on April 29, 2005 by operating the inaugural flight on the Thiruvananthapuram-Abu Dhabi sector, has since then considerably expanded its network.

Commencing operations with three leased b737-800 aircraft and operating from five points in India - Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Delhi to six destinations in the Gulf - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Muscat, Salalah and Sharjah, Air India Express now has five aircrafts.

From 42 flights per week the airline would within the year be operating 73 flights per week to various destinations, a release said here today.

Air India Express is set to further expand its network by adding three more cities in india - Trichy, Mangalore and Amritsar, which will have flights to Dubai effective May 2006.

Bahrain and Doha are also proposed to be on the airline network in the gulf soon. A firm aircraft order for 18 boeing 737-800 has already been placed with the boeing company to meet the surging expansion plan of the airline.

The average seat factor experienced between Kerala and Gulf has been heartening- at above 90 per cent. This became possible in such a short time due to overwhelming response from customers.

It has proved to be an airline ''for the people'' being sensitive to their needs. It is the whole hearted support of the customers that has indeed made the future look bright, the release added.

UNI