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<keyword id="19895282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai" source="keywords">Mumbai</keyword>, Low-cost carrier <keyword id="19923231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-india-express" source="keywords">Air India Express</keyword> is looking to operate 40 per cent more flights next fiscal on the back of fleet expansion, sources said on Wednesday. At the same time, the airline will focus more on consolidating on the domestic routes and will not be adding many destinations, while the international network may see some marginal increase, said the sources aware of the development. Air India Express currently operates 350 daily flights and has a fleet of 69 planes. It has some 1,300 pilots, including 400 of <keyword id="20436831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airasia-india" source="keywords">AirAsia India</keyword>, and another 400 on training. Air India Express will commence flights to Nepal, Bangladesh and <keyword id="19931726" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sri-lanka" source="keywords">Sri Lanka</keyword> during the forthcoming summer schedule, as per the sources. They also said that Air India Express will complete acquisition of its 50 white tail <keyword id="19915275" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="boeing" source="keywords">Boeing</keyword> 737 Max plane order by December this year, of which it has already inducted 13-14 planes. The sources also said the airline is expected to complete the merger of AirAsia India with it by the second quarter of the next fiscal. Air India Express is expecting all of AirAsia India's fleet to come on its air operator permit by July-August this year when the merger gets completed. As of now, it has three A320 neo planes of Airasia India fleet on its air operator permit.

Air India Express looking to operate 40% more flights next fiscal

Malaysian airline group <keyword id="6358246" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="AirAsia">AirAsia</keyword> today announced discounted fares across its flights, including those operated by <keyword id="1583080" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="AirAsia-India">AirAsia India</keyword>, for a period that goes up to April 2017. 
 
The bookings for availing the discounts can be made between today and October 16, 2016, AirAsia said. 
 The airline's year-end sale has fares starting from Rs 999 inclusive of all taxes for a one-way journey to domestic destinations such as <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword>, Kochi, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Guwahati, Jaipur, Pune, <keyword id="45774" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imphal">Imphal</keyword> among other destinations connected by AirAsia India, it said. 
 
Passengers can also book tickets to international destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Bali, Phuket, Melbourne, Sydney, among others, for fares as low as low as Rs 3,599. 
 
According to the airline, the booking period stands from October 3 to October 16 for travel between October 4, 2016 and April 27, 2017. 
 The Bengaluru-based budget airline AirAsia India, a subsidary of <keyword id="86568" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Asia">Air Asia</keyword>, is run jointly by AirAsia and <keyword id="46894" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Sons">Tata Sons</keyword>. 
 
AirAsia India currently flies to 11 destinations with its two hubs in Bengaluru and New Delhi, covering Chandigarh, Jaipur, Guwahati, Imphal, Pune, Goa, Vizag, Kochi and Hyderabad.

Air Asia announces discounts on domestic, foreign flights

Following the successful launch of their unified reservations system, <keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword>'s subsidiary airlines - <keyword id="6378232" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="air-india-express" source="Orion">Air India Express</keyword> and <keyword id="1583080" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airasia-india" source="Orion">AirAsia India</keyword> - are now focusing on cutting over to common airport check-in systems in a phased manner at all international terminals in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, followed by the overseas network. The unified customer interface of Air India Express and AirAsia India has witnessed a surge of visitors within days of the launch of the platform, contributing over 25 per cent of international flight revenue on the first day itself. Nearly half the bookings on airindiaexpress.com have been from international markets, with Dubai being the largest source city of traffic and other top international sources of traffic being Abu Dhabi, Doha, Sharjah, and Singapore. Domestic traffic and bookings on the platform have come from metro markets like Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, reflecting the domestic network and hubs of AirAsia India. Flyers of both airlines are now logging in, booking, and managing reservations for both Air India Express and AirAsia India flights on the unified website, launched as a milestone in the integration of the two airlines. The new website is built on the platform of the AirAsia India website developed by <keyword id="6357585" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-consultancy-services" source="Orion">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> with the support of <keyword id="8187544" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-digital" source="Orion">Tata Digital</keyword> and provides a significantly enhanced booking, support and travel experience for Air India Express customers from its historical platform. The launch of the new website was enabled by the migration to common reservations and check-in system, which now unifies the entire commercial ecosystem of the two airlines. As part of the integration, brand communications and support have also moved to common social media handles on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Online reputation management tools indicate that the integrated social media handles have the highest social reputation score amongst all Indian airlines, driven by the faster response and resolution times and massive positive sentiment and feedback on the user experience of the new website and support channels. With a unified sustainability strategy, the website also offers flyers the opportunity to offset their carbon footprint by planting a tree for every booking, with a geo-location tagged URN Certificate. In the warm response to the integrated platform, Aloke Singh, Managing Director, of Air India Express and AirAsia India, said: "The initial phase of integration of Air India Express and AirAsia India has been executed in a robust manner in record time. We have successfully migrated to modern-day technology from the legacy systems that were dominant. This migration has been built by leveraging the existing strong attributes of AirAsia India with additional deployment of relevant tech solutions. We are working on adding even more unique features and integrated service which will deliver an enhanced experience and strengthen our position in the minds of the customers." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/two-tax-regimes-rise-of-freelancers-drive-people-to-tax-experts-chartered-accountants/articleshow/99243392.cms">Two tax regimes &amp; rise of freelancers drive people to tax experts, chartered accountants</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ondc-to-foster-hyperlocal-ecommerce-business-model-in-india-nandan-nilekani/articleshow/99243637.cms">ONDC to foster hyperlocal ecommerce business model in India: Nandan Nilekani</a>

Air India Express, AirAsia India focus on common check-in systems after unified reservations

<keyword id="1674460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mittu-Chandilya">Mittu Chandilya</keyword>, the model-turned-headhunter who was picked by <keyword id="82750" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tony-Fernandes">Tony Fernandes</keyword> to be the CEO of the India joint venture of AirAsia, is most likely quitting from his position in March once his current two-year contract with the airline ends. 
 
Among the top three executives that are being considered to replace Chandilya, Amar Abrol, current chief of AirAsia Bhd's insurance arm Tune Money is the frontrunner for the post of AirAsia India’s next chief executive. However, Abrol, who has no prior relevant experience, would be a surprise selection for the post. 
 
At the airline's next board meeting, which is expected by the end of this month, the matter would be discussed and most likely approved. As per ET sources, the airline has probably also selected a new chief financial officer. 
 
Since its operations began less than two years ago, AirAsia India has either lost or replaced about ten top executives, including chief financial officer Vijay Gopalan and commercial director Gaurav Rathore. 
 
"These are speculative reports," an AirAsia India spokesman replied to ET's request for comment. "We have no (further) comments to offer right now." 
 
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ir0PMqoVTkg/maxresdefault.jpg">Image source </a>

CEO Mittu Chandilya won’t renew his contract with AirAsia India

After receiving an operating permit from the <keyword id="6354705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Directorate-General-of-Civil-Aviation">Directorate General of Civil Aviation</keyword>, <keyword id="6358246" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="AirAsia">AirAsia</keyword> India is all set to commence operations by July. This makes it the first airline to enter the domestic market after the government introduced a new policy in September 2012, allowing foreign carriers to own up to 49% stake in Indian airlines. 
 
“We have granted the Air Operator’s Permit (AOP or flying licence) to AirAsia India, subject to the final decision of the High Court and that is under the directions of the Supreme Court,” said DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar. 
 Following the development, the airline’s CEO <keyword id="1674460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mittu-Chandilya">Mittu Chandilya</keyword> tweeted, “Boom! 1815Hrs (IST) today AirAsia India was born. So proud of my team, which is ready to revolutionise air travel in India.” 
 <keyword id="82750" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tony-Fernandes">Tony Fernandes</keyword>, CEO of the Malaysian carrier AirAsia (it’s the parent company of the India entity), tweeted, “History has been made today in aviation. Everything has been hard for AirAsia, but we never give up. Today, AirAsia India has got approval.” 
“Our CEO @MittuChandilya with Air Operator’s Permit. What a battle that was. Proud day for me and all AirAsia stars,” he commented in another tweet. 
 AirAsia India is a joint venture between the Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, the <keyword id="6355725" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tata-Group">Tata Group</keyword> and the investment firm Telestra Tradeplace. 
AirAsia India has pledged to offer affordable airfares and it will, for the time being, focus on connecting tier II cities. It will have Chennai as its hub. The carrier recently completed its test flights that went on for more than 10 hours across five sectors, as per DGCA guidelines.

AirAsia All Set To Take Off In India

MUMBAI: In his latest visit to India, AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes pointed to an air hostess and announced the company will help her "realise her dream" of becoming a pilot. By his side sat <keyword id="1583080" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="AirAsia-India">AirAsia India</keyword> CEO <keyword id="1674460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mittu-Chandilya">Mittu Chandilya</keyword>, a former model, and among the audience was India finance chief Vijay Gopalan, who has previously sung for and acted in Tamil movies. 
 
While, AirAsia India's fate in a turbulent sky of cut-throat competition is unknown, its quirky hiring has certainly caught the industry's attention. "It's true AirAsia has made some unusual choices," said Manish Sabharwal, chairman of staffing firm Teamlease Services. "This is something that AirAsia does globally too, and a different pair of eyes always makes things interesting," he added. Out-of-the-box appointments across the board have been integral to the AirAsia story, almost as much as its aggressive fares. 
 Bo Lingam, <keyword id="86568" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Air-Asia">Air Asia</keyword>'s chief of operations, Kathleen Tan, its former regional commercial director, and Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, have all joined the airline from Warner Music International, the music company that Fernandes quit as Southeast Asian regional vice-president to launch AirAsia back in 1993. The airline abounds with stories of ground staff elevated to the levels of cabin crew and pilots. 
 Fernandes himself often narrates the story of a loader he spotted just before the take-off of a Cebu-Kota Bharu flight. The loader struck him as brighter than the rest and he asked him whether he aspired to be a pilot. the loader scored record marks at the academy and in seven years has graduated to being the <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> of a brand new A320 plane. 
 
In fact, 11 out of AirAsia's first crew of 18 pilots had joined the airline as baggage handlers, cabin crew, cabin assistants or store boys. 
 Sonal Agrawal, managing partner at CEO search firm <keyword id="2438457" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Accord-India">Accord India</keyword>, said Fernandes "relies on his instincts". But, is it a sound strategy, particularly in a highly competitive industry? Or, is it just that the AirAsia founder is so immensely lucky to have got most his quirky calls right?

Air Hostesses, Loaders Turn Pilots At AirAsia

India’s civil <keyword id="45911" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aviation-sector">aviation sector</keyword> has been going through turbulent times lately. During its boom period from 2004 to 2008, the sector was driven by high economic growth rates and rise in income of the salaried class which had come to enjoy huge disposable incomes. 
 
Then the global economic recession hit in the last quarter of the calendar year 2008. Travel numbers dropped significantly and pushed airlines to barely managing operating costs. Yet amidst the gloom and doom scenario where the most glamorous of them all, Kingfisher, has fallen, a new star is aiming to rise. 
 
A new market of small city middle class travellers Malaysian budget carrier <keyword id="6358246" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="AirAsia">AirAsia</keyword>, one of the most profitable low-cost airlines in the world, partnered with <keyword id="46894" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tata-Sons">Tata Sons</keyword> and launched AirAsia India, which has been touted to bring in ultra low cost air travel to everyone in India who currently still travel by bus and trains. So who is the target traveller of AirAsia India? The vast majority of the Indian middle class which mostly avoids costly air travel. They include people like IT and sales executives travelling short distances between two nearby cities, teachers, doctors, engineers and small retail owners. But how will or can AirAsia tap this potentially huge customer base with existing low margins and high costs in the Indian aviation sector? 
 
Big time cost cutting to go cheap 
AirAsia India’s model is based on squeezing out every bit of time, energy and space from every other possible asset. AirAsia India is targeting fastest turnaround time for Indian aviation at less than 25 minutes. Turnaround time is defined as the time duration counted from the moment the plane lands till the moment the plane takes off from a particular airport. But high congestion in Indian airports, big ones in general, and especially during holiday and festival season makes turnaround times of even less than 30 minutes impossible. So, this will be a challenge that AirAsia will have to face for bigger airports. 
 
Again, intertwined with faster around time is its concept of more flying time for its aircraft per day and higher frequencies. This will serve smaller airports during the day which will be served by more number of flights by AirAsia. However, this would mean flights at odd hours like 5:30 in the morning to 11:30 at night which will be difficult at smaller airports where night flying facility is not up to the mark or not available. And larger airports’ congestion might not allow for such schedules. 
 
Then, on the personnel front, it is also going for cabin crews helping in loading and unloading from the baggage compartment and same crews will assist in removing stubs from boarding passes and prepare load sheets. Thus in this way, AirAsia is targeting an aircraft-to-manpower ratio of less than 1:100. Indigo achieved a ratio of 1:98 many years ago but that was because of economies of scale achieved through owning many planes. 
 
It is also going for point to point service without any tie ups with other airlines and travel companies. AirAsia India has its own website from where it provides all information and booking facility to its customers and travellers. This saves on costs of networking with other airlines and travel companies but takes away the advantage from travellers of being able to compare total flight expenses from different flight options on travel companies’ websites. 
 
Also, it aims to utilise every inch of space in the aircraft by packing as many seats as possible. So basically, there’s not much scope in terms of leg room or stretching your seat back. That is also one of the reasons why the airline has chosen smaller duration routes. 
 
Will consumers have to pay eventually? 
Finally, the real squeeze will be eventually from the consumers themselves but in a tricky way. The key here is targeting that segment of travellers who have to travel light for short distances – single-day or two-day business trips mostly over short distances. That’s why it is not refunding anything to travellers on cancellation of tickets. This is something that ‘no-frills’ airlines have been using across the globe in different ways. 
 
But in an evolving market like India, it will depend on how different segments of travellers take to the concept of going for reservations only in case of absolute certainty in travel plans. Companies paying for their employees’ travel will mostly not go for this option as corporate travel plans often change at the eleventh hour. 
 
They also did away with free check-in luggage of up to 15 kg but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) butted in and asked the airline to take it back. That was some relief for consumers. 
 
Polarised opinion 
Other airlines and industry experts are divided on the future of AirAsia India. On one hand, industry experts and corporate honchos from other airlines feel that since the biggest cost element for Indian airlines remains aviation turbine fuel, making up 50% of operating costs along with airport leasing charges, the tweaking of other elements will not make that much of a difference in the long run. 
 
On the other hand, while the airline has targeted a break-even in less than six months, perhaps a promotional gimmick at best, it doesn’t matter that much because of the Tata tag. The biggest and most respected business group in India will easily make lenders wait for the airline to break-even and anytime expansion is needed, the profitable parent airline AirAsia in Malaysia and Tata Sons in India can put more capital into it. 
 
In essence, AirAsia will have to go for a lot of planning, market research, high operational efficiency and revenue forecasting for different possible routes so as to ascertain the most profitable ones.

You Searched For "AirAsia India" and got 7 results

Air India Express looking to operate 40% more flights next fiscal

PTI

Air Asia announces discounts on domestic, foreign flights

PTI

Air India Express, AirAsia India focus on common check-in systems after unified reservations

IANS

CEO Mittu Chandilya won’t renew his contract with AirAsia India

BI India Bureau

AirAsia All Set To Take Off In India

BI India Bureau

Air Hostesses, Loaders Turn Pilots At AirAsia

Anirban Chowdhury

AirAsia India – Can It Survive In Turbulent Times?

Pallavi Srivastava

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