Air India Express operates ~84 aircraft as of May 2026. Below is the detailed breakdown by aircraft type.
| Aircraft | Count | Capacity | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 50 | 186 seats | Most new deliveries — domestic + intl |
| Boeing 737-800 | ~34 | 186 seats | Workhorse Gulf + SE Asia |
Air India Express's fare structure offers 4 tiers that vary in baggage, meal, and flexibility benefits.
| Tier | Cabin | Check-in | Meal | Seat | Change fee | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xpress Lite Cheapest base — budget leisure |
7 kg | 15 kg | Buy on-board | Paid | ₹3,000 | No |
| Xpress Value Most domestic + Gulf trips |
7 kg | 20 kg | Snack + beverage | Free (standard) | ₹1,500 | Partial |
| Xpress Comfort Premium leisure / NRI families |
10 kg | 25 kg | Hot meal | Free (extra-legroom) | Zero | Yes |
| Xpress Biz Business travel needing recliner + lounge |
12 kg | 30 kg | Hot meal + priority | Recliner front cabin | Zero | Yes |
AIX's April 2026 DGCA OTP was 74.8% across the four metro airports — improved from the merger-disruption period of 2024 (when OTP dipped to 67% during IT/system integration) but still behind IndiGo. Gulf-route punctuality is stronger; the slip happens disproportionately on domestic morning departures from Kerala hubs during peak NRI season.
Air India Express has had one major historical incident — IX812 Mangalore in 2010 (no airworthiness defect found; overshoot of tabletop runway). Since 2010, the safety record has been clean. The fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 + 737-800 holds IATA IOSA certification, and the airline operates under DGCA + FAA-equivalent oversight. The 2024 fleet renewal added 50+ new MAX 8s, lowering average fleet age significantly.
Primary channels: 1860-500-0123 (24×7), airindiaexpress.com chat, @AirIndiaExpress Twitter. DGCA Apr 2026 complaint rate: 0.55 per 10,000 passengers (above industry avg 0.45). The 2024 merger with AirAsia India was operationally messy — system unification took until mid-2025. By 2026, customer-service KPIs have stabilised but remain below IndiGo benchmark.
32 domestic + 19 international destinations. Domestic network is Kerala-centric (Kochi, Trivandrum, Kozhikode) with strong metro coverage. International network is dominated by Gulf: Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Salalah, Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Kuwait. Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore (limited), Ho Chi Minh.
Domestic: 7 kg cabin + 15 kg check-in (Xpress Lite/Value); 25 kg in Comfort, 30 kg in Biz. International Gulf: 25–30 kg check-in standard, generous because the route caters to NRI families with significant baggage needs.
IndiGo wins on network breadth + OTP. AIX wins on Gulf intl pricing + Tata-group rebooking. For Kerala-origin trips, AIX often has better fares and more direct routings.
For domestic, AIX is ~30% cheaper than AI on like-for-like routes — sacrifice complimentary meal + lounge for the savings. For Gulf, AIX is the Tata-group default; AI runs Gulf only on select premium routes.
Akasa is operationally tighter (better OTP) but has a much smaller network. AIX wins decisively on Gulf coverage. For pure domestic comparison, Akasa edges AIX on reliability.
AIX is clearly more reliable. SpiceJet's domestic schedule has been thinned through 2025. Compare prices, but AIX is the safer pick for important trips.
No — they're sister airlines owned by Tata Group. Air India is the full-service flag carrier; Air India Express is the low-cost subsidiary. Both share the Maharaja Club loyalty programme, and during disruptions AIX can rebook passengers onto AI flights.
AirAsia India was rebranded as AIX Connect in October 2023 after the Tata acquisition, then fully merged into Air India Express in October 2024. The AirAsia India brand no longer exists; all aircraft, routes, and crew are now AIX.
Lite = cheapest, no extras, paid everything. Value = mid-tier, snack + standard seat. Comfort = 25 kg bag + hot meal + extra-legroom. Biz = recliner front cabin, hot meal, 30 kg bag, lounge access where available.
No — AIX is a short-medium-haul carrier (Boeing 737 MAX 8 / 737-800). For USA/UK, use the parent Air India brand. AIX's longest routes are India ↔ Gulf and India ↔ Southeast Asia.
Yes. The 2024 merger disruption period is over. OTP is now 74.8% (DGCA Apr 2026), and disruption rebooking onto parent Air India is automatic. Reliability is significantly above SpiceJet, slightly below IndiGo + Akasa.
Xpress Value: 20 kg + 7 kg cabin. Xpress Comfort: 25 kg + 10 kg. Xpress Biz: 30 kg + 12 kg. Excess: typically ₹600–800 per kg at check-in, cheaper if pre-booked.
Air India Express is now the strongest India ↔ Gulf low-cost carrier — period. For NRI travel between Kerala (and increasingly other South Indian airports) and the Gulf, it's the default option. The Xpress Biz tier on the 737 MAX 8 is a clever middle product between full low-cost and full-service business. Domestic coverage is still narrower than IndiGo so check route-by-route, but reliability has improved enough that AIX is no longer the also-ran it was pre-Tata acquisition.