Alliance Air is a government-owned regional carrier, regulated by the DGCA to the same certification and maintenance standards as every other Indian airline. Its fleet is built around the ATR 72 turboprop, a regional aircraft type used widely around the world, plus a smaller ATR 42 and a single Dornier. It plays a central role in the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, flying routes that larger jets generally do not serve. Turboprops fly lower and slower than jets, which changes the feel of a flight, but that alone does not make Alliance Air unsafe.
Updated September 2026 · HappyFares
Alliance Air rarely gets the attention that India’s bigger airlines do, but it quietly connects dozens of smaller Indian towns to the rest of the country. Here is what its ownership, fleet and record actually show.
Who owns and operates Alliance Air?
Alliance Air began in 1996 as a subsidiary of the erstwhile Indian Airlines and later came under Air India after the 2011 merger of Air India and Indian Airlines. When Air India was sold to the Tata Group in 2022, the government chose to keep Alliance Air rather than include it in the sale. The airline was formally separated from Air India on 15 April 2022 and is now run as an independent, government-owned business unit under a state-owned special purpose vehicle, still using the flight code 9I.
What aircraft does Alliance Air actually fly?
Alliance Air’s fleet is built around the ATR 72, a twin-engine turboprop regional aircraft manufactured by the French-Italian ATR consortium, seating around 70 to 72 passengers in a single economy class. As of mid-2026 the airline operates roughly 21 aircraft in total, the majority ATR 72-600s, alongside a smaller number of ATR 42-600s and a single Dornier 228 used on very short regional hops. Unlike the wide-body or narrow-body jets flown by India’s bigger carriers, this is a fleet purpose-built for shorter runways and thinner regional routes.
What role does Alliance Air play in the UDAN scheme?
Alliance Air was chosen in 2016 to help kick-start UDAN, the central government’s regional connectivity scheme designed to connect smaller, underserved airports that larger airlines generally find uneconomical to fly. It has since built out one of the largest UDAN networks of any Indian carrier, reaching airports across the Northeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and other regions that would otherwise have very limited air connectivity, operating from hub cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
What does Alliance Air’s safety record actually show?
Alliance Air, like every scheduled airline flying in India, is certified and overseen by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which sets the same pilot licensing, maintenance and airworthiness requirements across the industry regardless of airline size or aircraft type. The airline’s most serious documented accident dates back to July 2000, when an Alliance Air Boeing 737 crashed near Patna airport; that happened under an older fleet and ownership structure, well before the carrier consolidated around its current ATR turboprop fleet and before its 2022 separation from Air India. Beyond that historical accident, publicly available sources reviewed for this article do not point to a comparable event involving the airline’s current ATR fleet, though for a full and current safety picture it is worth checking DGCA’s own published data directly rather than relying on any single article.
What does flying a turboprop actually feel like?
Turboprops like the ATR 72 cruise lower and slower than jet aircraft, which generally means shorter flight times feel busier and cabins can be noisier, and you may notice more turbulence at lower altitudes in bumpy weather. There is no business class on these aircraft, and overhead bin space is smaller than on a typical jet. None of this reflects on the aircraft’s safety, since the ATR 72 is a well-established, widely used regional aircraft type flown by airlines across Europe, Asia and the Americas, but it is worth knowing what to expect if you have only flown jets before.
Common Questions
Is Alliance Air government owned?
Yes. After Air India’s 2022 sale to the Tata Group, the Indian government retained Alliance Air, which now operates independently under a state-owned holding structure rather than as part of the Tata-owned Air India group.
What planes does Alliance Air fly?
Its fleet is centred on the ATR 72 turboprop, with a smaller number of ATR 42 aircraft and a single Dornier 228 used on very short regional routes.
Has Alliance Air had any crashes?
Its most serious documented accident was in July 2000, involving a Boeing 737 near Patna airport, from an earlier era of the airline’s fleet and ownership. Check DGCA’s published safety data for the most current picture.
Why does Alliance Air fly small planes instead of jets?
Alliance Air focuses on UDAN regional routes to smaller airports that often have shorter runways and lower passenger volumes, which is exactly the kind of flying turboprops like the ATR 72 are designed for.
Are turboprop flights less safe than jets?
No. Turboprops are certified to the same safety standards as jet aircraft and are widely used by regional airlines worldwide. The flying experience differs, lower altitudes and more sensitivity to weather, but that is a comfort factor, not a safety one.
Does Alliance Air fly to major Indian cities?
Alliance Air operates from hub cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, but its network is built mainly around connecting these hubs to smaller, regional airports under UDAN.
Flying to a smaller Indian city? Search regional routes including Alliance Air on HappyFares, set a price alert, and ask Meera, our AI assistant, for help planning your connection.
Fleet details, routes and safety data change over time. Verify current specifics with the airline or the DGCA before you travel.
