List of Indian Airlines

Mainline

Air India 

Air India is India's flag carrier. Established on July 29, 1946, the corporation is headquartered in New Delhi. The company operates a fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft that serve 102 domestic and international destinations.

In fact, Air India is India's largest international airline, with an 18.6% market share. It joined Star Alliance on July 11, 2014. Air India's IATA and ICAO codes are 'AI' and 'AIC', respectively. The airline's total assets are Rs 52,352.18 crore.

Air India Express 

Air India Express is a completely owned subsidiary of India's flag carrier, Air India. In actuality, it is a low-cost carrier in India. Air India Express' headquarters are currently located in Kochi, Kerala.

However, it will be relocated to Gurgaon, Haryana, soon. The airline flies 649 flights per week to 33 destinations, including Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern countries.

In addition, the carrier aircraft transports around 4.3 million people annually. Air India Express operates secondary hubs at Kannur, Thivananthapuram, Kozhikode, Tiruchirapalli, Delhi, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Dubai. The airline's ICAO code is 'AXB' and IATA code is 'IX'. Air India Express had a net income of Rs.2.62 billion in fiscal year 2016-17.

AIX Connect 

Previously known as AirAsia India, AIX Connect is a lost cost Indian airline which is headquartered in Bengaluru. The airline company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India Limited that is now owned by Tata Group.

The company was established as a joint venture between AirAsia Bhd and Tata Sons and started its operations in June 2014 with a primary operating base in Bengaluru.

In December 2022, Tata Sons acquired AirAsia India by purchasing its entire shares and renamed the airline AIX Connect. The airline has been renamed before its merger with Air India Express. The airline operates around 200 daily flights and has connections with 19 airports across the country.  

Akasa Air 

Akasa Air belongs to the branch of SNV Aviation Private Limited a low-cost Indian carrier headquartered in Mumbai. The airline was founded by Aditya Ghosh and Vinay Dube alongside investor Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala who held 46 percent stake in the company.

The company started its operation on 7 August 2022 with its first flight service from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The brand entered the aviation industry with an aim to provide affordable air travel experience. Akasa Air aims to serve every Indian people irrespective of their economic conditions.

Currently, the airline has 20 aircraft which are connected to 16 destinations. Most of its flights operate through Bengaluru and Mumbai, being its operating bases. The airline has got permission to fly international destinations and it is going to launch international flights by December 2023. 

Go First 

Go First, formerly known as GoAir, is another Indian ultra-low-cost airline based in Mumbai. The aircraft company was owned by Wadia Group, an Indian corporation. Go First began operations on November 4, 2005, with a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. In October 2017, the airline was listed as the fifth largest in the country, with an 8.4% passenger share. Its bases are in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Kannur, and Hyderabad.

In March 2020, the airline operated around 330 daily flights to 36 destinations, 27 of which were domestic and nine of which were international. As of fiscal year 2017, Go First's net profit was Rs.294.88 crore.   

IndiGo 

IndiGo is operated by InterGlobe Aviation Limited. It is a low-cost airline based in Gurgaon, Haryana. IndiGo boasts a 63.4 percent domestic market share as of July 2023 and has grown to become India's largest airline in terms of fleet size and passenger capacity.

Not only that, but it is also Asia's largest individual affordable carrier in terms of passenger count and jet fleet capacity. According to a report published in November 2022, the airline handled over 300 million passengers. Currently, IndiGo operates over 2,000 daily flights to 117 destinations, 84 of which are domestic and 33 internationals.

The primary hub of IndiGo is at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. IndiGo was established as a private company in 2006. In addition, the aviation company was listed in the stock market in 2015. The revenue of IndiGo is Rs.15,677.60 crores and its operating income is Rs.5,818.07 crores. 

SpiceJet 

Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, SpiceJet is an Indian affordable airline which was established in 2004 as Royal Airways. The IATA and ICAO of SpiceJet are ‘SG’ and ‘SEJ’, respectively.

The airline is also the second largest airline in the country in terms of the number of domestic passengers with a 5.8 percent market share as of April 2023. SpiceJet operates 630 daily flights to 54 Indian destinations and 15 international destinations from its bases at Hyderabad and Delhi.

The airline operated its first flight in May 2005. Currently, SpiceJet operates a fleet of Bombardier Dash 8 and Boeing 737 aircraft.  

Vistara 

Vistara is an Indian full-service airline headquartered in Gurgaon and operated by Tata SIA Airlines Limited. Its hub is Indira Gandhi International Airport. Vistara is a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons that began operations on January 9, 2015, with its inaugural flight between Mumbai and Delhi.

By June 2016, Vistara has carried over two million passengers, and it currently has an 8.7 percent market share in the domestic carrier industry, making it the second largest domestic airline behind IndiGo. 

The airline serves 34 destinations with a fleet of aircraft like Airbus A321neo, Airbus A320neo, and Boeing 787-9. Vistara launched its first international flight from Delhi to Singapore on 6 August 2019 using a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. The net profit of Vistara as of fiscal year 2023 is Rs.1,393 crore. 

Cargo Airlines 

India's cargo capacity has increased dramatically as a result of all of these airlines adding more aircraft, but there is still a lot of room for growth. Foreign carriers, for example, continue to dominate cargo transport over large distances to the United States and Europe.

Air India and Vistara are the only Indian airlines capable of competing in this space, but they are woefully underequipped because they can only transport products in the aircraft belly during passenger flights. 

Blue Dart Aviation 

Blue Dar Aviation is a cargo airline headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The airline has its main base as Chennai International Airport and its serves seven Indian metro cities. The company’s 70 percent was owned by Deutsche Post which is a German courier company through its subsidiary Blue Dart Express.

The airline opened a specialised cargo facility at Mumbai Airport's Terminal One on February 7, 2019. It delivers services to over 220 countries throughout the world. Blue Dart Aviation operates a fleet of Boeing 757-200PCF and Boeing 737-800PCF aircraft, flying to numerous Indian destinations including Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Mumbai.   

IndiGo Cargo 

As mentioned above, IndiGo is the largest passenger airline in the country. The airline has launched its own cargo division by purchasing four Airbus A321s and changing them to cargo flights. IndiGo CarGo started its operation in late September 2022 by taking delivery of its first AirbusA321 P2F. Both airframes, registered as VT-IKW and VT-IKX, are currently busy transporting freight around the country and beyond.

Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Yangon, and Mumbai are all popular destinations. The cargo capacity of the reconfigured aircraft is about double that of an A321 designed for passengers. With the forthcoming planes, IndiGo intends to fly on more routes and capture a large share of the freight market. 

Pradhaan Air Express 

Pradhaan Air Express is a cargo airline which is headquartered in Delhi. The aviation company got its first aircraft named A320-200P2F in July 2022 and started its commercial operations on 1 October 2022. Pradhaan Air Express received NOC from Civil Aviation Ministry in July 2022. The total payload of the aircraft is 21,000 kg and it is named as ‘Pehalwan’.

Pradhaan Air Express is planning to expand the number of aircraft by 2023. Pradhaan Air Express is a joint venture that is founded in 2021 between Vaayu Group of UAE and Astral Aviation of Kenya. Unlike other airlines, Pradhaan Air Express uses Airbus aircraft to transport cargo both in India and abroad. The airline launched its first commercial flight on 10 October 2022 from Delhi to Hanoi. Currently, the airline delivers cargo to various international destinations such as Ras Al Khaimah, Yangon, Adana, Dubai World Central, and Sharjah.  

Quikjet Airlines 

Quikjet Airlines is run by Quikjet Cargo Airlines Pvt Ltd. Quikjet Airlines, headquartered in Bengaluru, is an all-cargo airline that resumed operations with a new AOC in December 2022. Quikjet Airlines was founded in 2007 and promoted by AFL Pvt Ltd. Following the initial years of instability, the aviation company revived and announced plans to fly freight aircraft for Amazon Air.

The airline now operates two Boeing 737-800 freighters which were registered as VT-AAZ and VT-BAZ. Data released by flightradar24 mentioned that VT-AAZ has been operating the DEL-BOM-DEL leg once a day since 15 Apil 2023. On the other hand, the daily schedule of VT-BAZ is DEL-BLR-HYD-DEL since the same date. 

SpiceXpress 

SpiceXpress belongs to SpiceJet. It is a cargo airline which has a fleet of freighter aircraft. The airline has five freighter aircraft in its fleet, and these are three Boeing 737-700Fs (VT-SFB, -SFD, and –SFE) and two 737-800Fs (VT-SFF and –SFG). The cargo carrier provides various pallets for its aircraft which enables it to transport various types of goods, including live animals. 

Charter

Now, we will have a look at the best Charter airlines in India: 

Deccan Charters 

Deccan Chaters is a charter airline based in Bengaluru operating helicopter and fixed-wing charter services. The main base of Deccan Charters is HAL Bangalore International Airport.

The airline was established in 1997 and its main hubs are Kempegowda International Aiport, HAL Bangalore International Airport, and Jakkur Airfield.  

Pawan Hans 

Pawan Hans is operated by Pawan Hans Limited (PHL). This is a central public sector undertaking headquartered in Noida. It is a government-owned firm and one of India's leading helicopter service companies.

Pawan Hans is involved in many industries, including offshore operations, connecting distant and inaccessible places, and providing helicopter support for tourists, pilgrimage, and corporate travel. 

The airline has carried over one million hours and has had 2.5 million landings. The operations of Pawan Hans are based at the Juhu Aerodrome in Vile Parle, Mumbai. In addition, the regional offices of Pawan Hans are at Mumbai, Guwahati, and New Delhi. The net profit of the airline as of 2020-21 is Rs.886.59 lakh. Pawan Hans offers helicopter services to ONGC to GAIL, NTPC, Oil India, and GSPC.  

Club One Air 

Club One Air is again another air charter company based in Mumbai, Delhi, and Vishakhapatnam. The company commenced its operations in August 2005 in Delhi and March 2006 in Mumbai. The company specializes in tourism and corporate charter services. Apart from this, it also provides medical evacuation services across the country.  

Global Vectra Helicorp 

Founded in 1997, Global Vectra Helicorp Limited is the largest private helicopter company in India which has a fleet of 29 aircraft. The company has its operational headquarters in Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai. Global Vectra Helicorp provides services to the oil and gas industry with its forward bases at Rajahmundry and Vishakhapatnam.  

Fly Safe Aviation 

Fly Safe Aviation is a charter airline headquartered in New Delhi. The company was created on December 4, 1997, and began operations in 2004. The airline offers charter services to both domestic and foreign locations, employing propeller and jet aircraft.

Pinnacle Air 

Founded in 2004, Pinnacle Air is a charter airline based in Delhi. The company started its operations in 2008. The company has its operating base at Hisar Airport. The airline company serves destinations such as Delhi, Chandigarh, and Haryana.  

TajAir 

TajAir is an air charter company established in 1992. The company was owned by the Tata Group which ruled the aviation company for more than 80 years. TajAir is registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The hub of TajAir is located in Chhatrpati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. 

Ventura AirConnect 

Ventura AirConnect, founded in 2010, is an Indian nonscheduled airline that operates Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft in Gujarat. Previously, the company operated flights throughout Madhya Pradesh. In 2014, the company was acquired by a group of Gujarati diamond sellers and relocated to Gujarat. The airline's operating hub is Surat International Airport.

Regional/ Commuter

Now, let us have a look at the regional or commuter airlines: 

Alliance Air 

Previously known as Ai India Regional, Alliance Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIAHL. In fact, it is a special purpose vehicle formed by the Indian Government post disinvestment of Air India Limited.

The company was established in April 1996 and operates domestic routes as part of the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme. The company has its hubs in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.

Flybig 

Flybig is a Gurgaon based regional airline which is promoted by Big Charter Private Limited. The company commenced its operations in December 2020, and it aims to connect Tier-2 cities in India. The hub of Flybig is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati.  

IndiaOne Air 

IndiaOne Air is a regional airline headquartered in Ahmedabad. The company started its operations in August 2022 and aims in providing regional connectivity between Tier 2 and Tir 3 cities across the country.  

Star Air (India) 

Star Air is owned by Ghodawat Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. The airline began operations in January 2019 and is situated at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Star Air flies inside Karnataka and to the bordering states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.