Summary
- Air India Express receives its first two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, marking the start of deliveries from an enormous order of 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
- The primary two aircraft were initially designated for airlines in China but at the moment are being delivered to Air India Express attributable to inventory surplus on the Boeing factory.
- With the brand new aircraft, Air India Express plans to expand its domestic and international network, offering more fuel-efficient and technologically advanced flights to its customers.
Air India Express, a subsidiary of the Indian flag carrier, Air India, receives its first two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. This marks the start of the aircraft deliveries from the large order of 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft placed by the Air India Group in February.
The primary two 737 MAX 8s, delivered on the Boeing’s delivery center in Seattle, Washington, are a part of the entire 190 of the sort on order by the airline group. Of the entire order, Air India Express is anticipated to receive 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by next yr.
Air India Express has begun taking the delivery of the primary two of the 55 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that were initially designated for various airlines in China. With a listing surplus on the Boeing factory, the manufacturer is remarketing select 737 MAXs to be delivered to Air India Express.
Photo: Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock
The primary two aircraft were initially destined for Shanghai Airlines and China Southern Airlines in China. The aircraft are painted within the airline’s livery after the completion of the needed flight tests. The airline is anticipated to receive one other eight of the sort in coming months.
Plans for network expansion
Air India Express plans to expand its domestic and international network as deliveries of latest aircraft are available. The Boeing 737 MAX family is some of the fuel-efficient and technologically advanced aircraft in its class. The airline goals to raise its aircraft offerings for its customers. With the recent privatization, all eyes are on the airline group and its performance across airline groups. The airline stated through the press release,
737 MAX-8 marks a critical step forward towards more sustainable operations. With its advanced technology winglets and efficient engines, it achieves a 20% reduction in fuel use and emissions while also significantly decreasing noise pollution by 50% in comparison with older models. This also offers as much as 14 percent lower airframe maintenance costs.
The recent interline arrangement
For the reason that historic order of 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the Air India Group has been within the limelight concerning its plans for network expansion across various airlines. Air India Express is understood for operating small to medium haul routes, primarily connect each major and secondary cities in India.
Photo: Airbus
The budget subsidiary of the Air India Group has secured an interline arrangement with AirAsia India (now generally known as AIX Connect). The AIX Connect is the wholly owned subsidiary of Air India Limited, and essentially the Tata Group.
The agreement is consistent with the airline’s plan to expand its network through interline agreements and codeshares. The arrangement allows passengers to travel across the domestic and international networks of each airlines on a single itinerary.
The arrangement covers over 100 routes served by the collective fleet of 56 aircraft. Each airlines aim to share a single website and ticketing system where passengers can easily book, manage, and check-in to their flights across the combined network.
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