A Low-Cost Bridge To The Gulf
Air India Express began operations in 2005 as Air India's dedicated low-cost, international arm. Its early network focused heavily on connecting Kerala and other South Indian cities to Gulf countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — corridors with large numbers of Indian workers travelling for employment and family visits.
By keeping a simple, single-class product and a focused short-haul international network, the airline offered fares that were significantly more affordable than full-service alternatives, quickly becoming one of the busiest India-Gulf carriers.
Joining The Air India Group
When the Tata Group acquired Air India in 2022, Air India Express came along as part of the deal, becoming the low-cost international arm of the newly private Air India Group.
This gave the airline access to group-wide resources for fleet planning, technology and network coordination, while it continued operating under its own brand and low-cost positioning.
Absorbing AirAsia India
As part of consolidating its budget airline operations, the Tata Group merged AirAsia India's domestic network and aircraft into Air India Express through 2023 and 2024, creating a larger combined low-cost carrier spanning both domestic and international routes.
The integration expanded Air India Express's reach well beyond its traditional Kerala-Gulf stronghold, adding domestic city pairs across South and East India to its network.