Air India Express

Air India Expresss
IATA
IX		 ICAO
AXB		 Callsign
EXPRESS INDIA
Founded May 2004
Commenced operations 29 April 2005
Operating bases
Focus cities
Alliance Star Alliance (affillate)
Fleet size 17
Destinations 30
Company slogan "Simply Priceless"
Parent company Air India Limited
Headquarters Kochi
Key people Chairman:Rohit Nandan
CEO: K. Shyamsundar
Website www.airindiaexpress.in

Air India Express is a low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India with its hub in Kochi. It operates services to the Middle East and Southeast Asia and has about 100 flights per week. The airline was owned by Air India Charters Limited, a subsidiary of Air India Limited but is now owned by it directly.

Overview

Air India Express Boeing 737-800 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India and operates mostly from the Indian state of Kerala to the Middle East and Southeast Asia and has about 100 flights per week. The airline was owned by Air India Charters Limited, a subsidiary of Air India Limited but is now owned by it directly. The airline began operations on 29 April 2005 with a flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Abu Dhabi. Delivery of the first aircraft for Air India Express took place on 22 February 2005 when the airline leased a new production Boeing 737-86Q from Boullioun Aviation Services. As of February 2014 the airline had a 20 plane fleet, which included the Boeing 737-800.

The airline is headquartered in the Mumbai.[1] In December 2012 the Air India director board ratified the proposal to move the headquarters to Kochi in January 2013.[2] K.C. Venugopal, the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said that the move would occur in phases, beginning with the opening of the Kochi office on 1 January (New Year's Day).[3]

Destinations

Air India Express operates 100 flights per week, mainly from southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala in India.

Fleet

Air India Express Boeing 737-800 at Mangalore International Airport

As of March 2015, Air India Express fleet included the following aircraft:[4]

Air India Express Fleet
Aircraft In Service Passengers
(Economy)
Boeing 737-800 17 189
Total 17

Accidents and incidents

On 22 May 2010, Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800 (registered VT-AXV), flying on the Dubai–Mangalore route overshot runway 24 on landing at Mangalore Airport, killing 152 passengers and six crew members of the 166 people on board. The aircraft crashed into a wooded valley at the end of the runway and burst into flames. There were eight survivors and eight scheduled passengers who did not board the aircraft.[5][6][7][8][9]

On 25 May 2010, an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 flying from Dubai to Pune, India experienced a sudden 7,000 foot drop when the co-pilot bumped the control column while adjusting his seat. The captain, who was outside of the cockpit at the time of the incident, returned to the cockpit and recovered the 737 from its dive.[10][11][12]

Tail art

Each Air-India Express aircraft features a different tail design that reflects a facet of Indian culture, history and tradition.

Air-India Express liveries
Registration Left Tail Photo Right tail Photo
1 VT-AXA[A] Thrissur Pooram elephant Pushkar Fair camel
2 VT-AXB[A] Rangoli Indian Kite
3 VT-AXC[A] Sitar Tabla
4 VT-AXD Nilavilakku (Oil lamp) Diya (Oil lamp)

5 VT-AXE Kathakali dancer Bharatanatyam dancer
6 VT-AXF Konark Sun Temple Taj Mahal
7 VT-AXG Indian jewellery Indian Saree
8 VT-AXH India Gate Gateway of India
9 VT-AXI Rajput painting Ragamala paintings
10 VT-AXJ Red Fort Gwalior Fort
11 VT-AXM Mehrangarh Fort Mysore Palace
12 VT-AXN Hawa Mahal Ujjayanta Palace
13 VT-AXP Hamsa Damayanthi Schlamp, Rick. (2007-02-07) Ravi Varma Art
14 VT-AXQ Qutub Minar Jantar Mantar
15 VT-AXR Snake Boat Race Kalaripayattu
16 VT-AXT Indian peacock Painted stork
17 VT-AXU Bihu Garba
18 VT-AXV[B] Victoria Memorial Konark Sun Temple
19 VT-AXW Sanchi Stupa Charminar
20 VT-AXX Beach Himalayas
21 VT-AXZ Dal Lake Thar Desert
22 VT-AYA Ellora elephant statue Ajanta cave painting
23 VT-AYB White tiger Chital
24 VT-AYC Naga Woollen Shawl Pataola Saree
25 VT-AYD Nagaland Folk Dance Manipuri Dance
  • ^ Have been returned to Lessors.

See also


References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us." Air India Express. Retrieved on 5 February 2013. "Head office address is: Air India Express Air — India Building, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021, India."
  2. ↑ Ramavarman, T. "Shifting of Air India Express headquarters to Kochi gets nod." Times of India. 14 December 2012. Retrieved on 5 February 2013.
  3. ↑ Staff Reporter. "Air India Express route scheduling from city soon." The Hindu. 7 January 2013. Retrieved on 5 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Air India Express : About Us
  5. ↑ "Jet crash kills 158 in India; 8 survive". 2010-05-23.
  6. ↑ "Indian official: 158 dead in Air India plane crash in Mangalore". Wire Update/BNO News. 2010-05-22.
  7. ↑ "Air India flight from Dubai crashes in India". MSNBC. 2010-05-21.
  8. ↑ "Casualties feared in Air India crash". CNN. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  9. ↑ "India plane crash in Mangalore leaves nearly 160 dead". BBC News. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  10. ↑ "Report: Co-pilot moved seat, sent jetliner plummeting". CNN. 2010-11-30.
  11. ↑ "Report Cites 'Panicked' Co-Pilot in Air India Jetliner Dive". The Wall Street Journal. 2010-11-28.
  12. ↑ "'Panicky pilot' caused Indian passenger jet plunge". AFP. 2010-11-29.

External links

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