Domestic Airlines in India

2024-2025: Updates in Indian Aviation

1. Air India Express Merges with AIX: Air India Express merged with AIX Connect on 1 October 2024. The airline now runs under the name Air India Express.  

2. Vistara Merges with Air India: As of November 2024, the Tata group has merged the Vistara Aviation fully into Air India. The group now operates as Air India and Air India Express. 

3. New Regional Airlines Set to Launch in 2025: Three new domestic carriers are preparing to enter the Indian skies by late 2025. These are as follows: 

1. Shankh Air – It is a Gujarat-based airline that’s focus is on Western India. 

1. Air Kerala – This airline is backed by the state government, and it targets mainly Gulf routes and tourism. 

1. Alhind Air – It will focus on South India and connect smaller cities. 

AIX Connect

AIX Connect previously known as AirAsia India is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was a collaborative effort between AirAsia Investment Limited and Tata Sons with the majority of the stakes held by Tata Sons.

However, AIX Connect has been merged with Air India Express in October 2024. The airline began operating in 2014 and Bangalore served as its primary hub. AirAsia India has only one flight class.

Here are some of the top advantages of flying with AIX Connect India:

1. AIX Connect India flights are known for their punctuality.
2. It is one of the country's largest carriers, in terms of the number of passengers carried as well as the routes it serves.
3. AIX Connect India operates on all main routes and it has a strong network in South and East India, with recurring flights from Kolkata to Bangkok.
4. Because AIX Connect operates frequent flights, you can always get a confirmed reservation. There are direct flights connecting major metro cities that operate all day.
5. If AIX Connect cancels your flight, you can choose to receive a full refund or board the next flight. The fare will be applied to your new booking.
   

Air India

Air India was formed nearly 90 years ago under the name Tata Airlines. Headquartered in New Delhi, the airline has an extensive network across India as well as abroad with a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

The airline has three classes: first class, executive class, and economy class.

After the Government of India, who had previously owned Air India Limited, concluded the sale, Talace Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, now owns the flight company. 

Here are some of the top advantages of flying with Air India:

1. Air India has an extensive network of domestic and international flights, making it a popular choice for travellers.
   
2. Air India flights offer a variety of television shows, music, English and Hindi movies, etc. You can search through a huge number of channels that broadcast numerous programmes.
3. Air India operates frequently on major routes in India and it is also easy to get a direct flight for travelling abroad.
4. Meals are served in all classes, which include Economy, based on the time of the day.

IndiGo Airlines

IndiGo Airlines is one of the country's most popular low-cost carriers, with its vast network in India and abroad. The airline flies  an Airbus A320neo, an Airbus A321neo and will soon start flying Airbus A321XLR.  It has a fleet of over 430 aircraft, and it flies to 127 destinations, including international ones.

The airline does not have any class segregation because it only has one seating plan, which is economy-class seating, and no complimentary meals are served on board.

Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal established the airline as a private business in 2006. The company went public in 2015.

Here are some of the of flying with IndiGo:

1. IndiGo is a renowned airline due to its low fares and extensive network.
2. While there are no complimentary meals on board, you have a lot of options available in the flight’s in-flight meal programme.
3. The airline is known for its punctuality.
4. Although IndiGo only has one class, economy, it provides priority services such as pre-assigned seats and priority check-in.

SpiceJet Airlines

SpiceJet is an economical airline that was launched in 2005. It was originally founded in 1994 as an air taxi provider, ModiLuft, and was taken over by Indian businessman Mr. Ajay Singh in 2004 who renamed it SpiceJet.

With headquarters in Gurugram, it has 306 flights flying every day to 64 destinations, including 54 in India and 15 abroad.

The top benefits of flying with SpiceJet are as follows:

1. SpiceJet has a broad network that connects major destinations in India and overseas.
2. The airline operates frequent flights at reasonable prices.
3. Defence Personnel can avail tickets at discounted rates.
4. If you book 4 to 9 passengers on the same PNR, you can save money on the family fare.

Vistara Airlines

Tata SIA Airlines Limited operates as Vistara and has its centre at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This partnership between Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons began in 2015 with a flight connecting Delhi and Mumbai.

It became the first airline in India to offer premium economy seating.  However, it has been merged with Air India in November 2024.

Here are some benefits of flying with Vistara:

1. Vistara has flights to 21 popular cities in India like Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, etc.
2. It provides three distinct cabin classes: economy, premium economy, and business, to ensure a seamless and customised experience.
3. Vistara offers a comprehensive selection of food and beverages to its passengers.

Air India Express

Air India Express is a low-cost Indian airline that is based in Kochi, Kerala. It began operations on 29 April 2005, with three flights departing simultaneously from Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi. Air India Express joined AIX Connect on 1 October 2024. The airline has about 90 to 110 planes and flies to 54 places in India and other countries. Over 40 million people flew last year and most flights were full. From April 2025, the airline is changing its seats to only economy class, so it can give cheaper tickets, especially between small towns and big cities. 

The benefits of flying with Air India Express are listed below:

1. Air India Express operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircrafts.
2. All passengers on Air India Express flights receive complimentary refreshments and mineral water.
3. The airline’s baggage allowance policy allows a certain amount of baggage free of charge depending on the destination.
4. You can buy reading material, snacks, and other forms of entertainment on board.

Akasa Air

Vinay Dube and Aditya Ghosh launched the low-cost airline Akasa Air, a brand of SNV Aviation Private Limited, with investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala owning a 46% share in the company.

The airline now operates 14 aircraft to 12 locations, and it has placed orders for an additional 56 aircraft with the intention of adding one more.

The benefits of flying with Akasa Air are listed below:

1. Akasa Air operates Boeing 737 Max 8 and Boeing 737 Max 200 aircrafts.
2. The airline runs Cafè Akasa, a self-contained catering operation where customers can order food for consumption while flying.
3. The airline provides "Flexi premium services" to customers, which include priority check-in, priority seating, meal service, and reduced fees for date changes and cancellations.