Alliance Air operates ~21 aircraft as of May 2026. Below is the detailed breakdown by aircraft type.
| Aircraft | Count | Capacity | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-600 | 15 | 70–78 seats | Regional + UDAN routes mainland |
| ATR 42-600 | 4 | 48 seats | Smaller airport pairs |
| Dornier 228 | 2 | 19 seats | Short-strip + island operations (Andaman, NE) |
Alliance Air's fare structure offers 2 tiers that vary in baggage, meal, and flexibility benefits.
| Tier | Cabin | Check-in | Meal | Seat | Change fee | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Saver Budget regional travel |
7 kg | 15 kg | Buy on-board | Paid | ₹2,500 | No |
| Alliance Flex Most regional trips with schedule flex |
7 kg | 15 kg | Snack | Free | Zero (1 free) | Partial |
Alliance Air operates on routes not always sampled in DGCA's four-metro OTP report. Where tracked, OTP averages 72–74%. Seasonal weather impact is significant on Northeast and island routes; cancellations are more common during monsoon and winter fog. Schedule is built with weather slack on the harder routes.
Alliance Air has had one fatal incident in its history — IC7412 (Coimbatore-Bangalore, 2000), which led to the airline's restructuring. Since then, the safety record has been clean. The ATR 42/72 fleet is globally proven; the Dornier 228 is a niche short-strip aircraft with a stable safety record in Alliance Air's configuration.
Primary channels: 1800-180-1737, customercare@allianceair.in. Small team and government-style processes — refund timelines can be slow (15–30 days). Disruption recovery on UDAN routes is typically by rebooking onto the next available Alliance Air flight (might be 2–3 days).
49 domestic destinations spanning every region. Particularly strong in the Northeast (Tezu, Pasighat, Lilabari, Tezpur, Dimapur, Imphal, Aizawl, Agartala) and the Andaman & Nicobar islands (Port Blair, Diglipur). Also serves Tier-2/3 mainland routes under UDAN (Jharsuguda, Kanpur, Gondia, Salem, etc.).
Domestic: 7 kg cabin + 15 kg check-in standard. Smaller aircraft = strict cabin baggage enforcement. Excess: ₹500/kg.
Alliance Air has wider UDAN coverage + the only operator on island / NE strips. Star Air has the jet product advantage on common Tier-2 routes. Pick by route.
IndiGo's ATR network is bigger and integrates with the mainline schedule. Alliance Air wins on UDAN + Dornier / island routes IndiGo doesn't serve.
Q400 is faster + has higher capacity (78 vs 48–72). Alliance Air wins on route coverage especially for NE + islands.
Historically yes — Alliance Air was a subsidiary of Air India. Since 2022 it has been a separate government-owned entity under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Loyalty and rebooking are no longer integrated with Air India.
UDAN ("Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik") is the Government of India's regional connectivity scheme — it subsidises flights to under-served airports so fares stay affordable. Alliance Air operates the largest UDAN network, with subsidies covering a portion of seats on each flight.
Yes — Alliance Air operates Port Blair from the mainland + the unique Port Blair → Diglipur intra-island route on the Dornier 228 (the only operator on that route).
ATR 72-600 (15), ATR 42-600 (4), and Dornier 228 (2). The Dornier 228 is used for short-strip airports in the Northeast + the Andaman islands.
OTP is 72–74% on tracked routes — acceptable but below IndiGo + Akasa. Schedule reliability suffers on weather-sensitive NE and island routes. The airline is government-owned so financial-stability risk is minimal.
Basic. Single-class, no in-flight entertainment, no Wi-Fi, snacks for purchase. The product matches the regional / UDAN positioning. For a more comfortable regional experience, Star Air's Embraer is a step up.
Alliance Air does the irreplaceable work of connecting India's most remote airports. Cabin product is basic and block times are longer because of the turboprop fleet, but for many destinations (Tezu, Pasighat, Port Blair Diglipur strip), it's simply the only option. For mainstream travel, fly the majors; for the deep regional network, Alliance Air is often where you end up booking.