Air India Express is planning to expand, according to chief executive officer K Shyamsundar, who is awaiting consultant feedback on the potential profitability of an extended domestic route network. At the moment, the Air India subsidiary serves migrant labour and business traffic between India and West Asia from its main bases in Kerala.
Air India Express will boost its 737 fleet of 21 aircraft to 25 by the end of 2017. The new aircraft will be used to expand services on the Gulf routes, as well as routes to Singapore and Dhaka. The airline is also evaluating whether to expand services to Southeast Asia, where it only connects Singapore and Kuala Lumpur at present. A Delhi-Teheran service is also under consideration.
The carrier’s expected capacity and operating revenue to increase 25% in 2016-17.