Air India's Regional Arm
Alliance Air was launched in 1996 as Air India's dedicated regional subsidiary, built around smaller turboprop aircraft suited to shorter runways and thinner routes that mainline jets couldn't serve economically.
For much of its history, the airline has focused on connecting India's smaller towns and cities to larger regional hubs, filling a gap that larger carriers typically leave unserved.
Powering The UDAN Scheme
Since the government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme launched in 2017, Alliance Air has been one of its most active operators, opening scheduled air service to airports that previously had little or no commercial flying.
Its ATR turboprop fleet is particularly well suited to this role, especially across the Northeast and other regions where smaller aircraft can access airports that larger jets cannot.
Continuing Under The Tata Group
When Air India returned to the Tata Group in 2022, Alliance Air came along as part of the broader Air India ownership structure, continuing its regional mandate under new private management.
The airline continues to expand its regional network, remaining a key part of how India connects smaller cities to the rest of its aviation network.