
Air India Express mulls more domestic services from Calicut airport
Air India Express Managing Director Aloke Singh told MPs M.K. Raghavan and E.T. Mohammed Basheer in Delhi recently that the airline would no longer charge extra fares for Haj services from Calicut. He added that a new service from Calicut to Mumbai would be launched once the new airport at Navi Mumbai begins operations, while another service from Calicut to Goa is also under consideration.
The MPs demanded that services from Calicut to Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, as well as international routes such as Kuwait, Bahrain, and Al Ain, be operated daily. They also sought new services to Fujairah, Madinah, and Singapore.

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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Air India Express adds flights to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Dehradun
Air India Express MUMBAI: Air India Express is set to strengthen its domestic network with the addition of three new cities, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Dehradun, marking another milestone in the airline's rapid expansion. With these routes, the Tata-owned carrier will operate across 41 domestic and 17 international destinations, totaling 58 points on its network. Services to Ahmedabad and Chandigarh will commence from September 1, 2025, followed by Dehradun on September 15, 2025. All three cities will initially be connected to the airline's Bengaluru hub, a key operational base that already handles over 405 weekly flights to 34 domestic and three international destinations. The airline will operate twice-daily flights on the Ahmedabad–Bengaluru and Chandigarh–Bengaluru routes, and daily flights between Dehradun and Bengaluru. Introductory one-way fares start at Rs 4,100, available via the carrier's website, mobile app, and other booking platforms. 'With our fleet now exceeding 115 aircraft, we continue to build a robust network focusing on connectivity between metros and emerging cities,' said Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo 'Our guests can look forward to a warm, reliable flying experience featuring hot meals, comfortable seats, and thoughtfully curated fare options tailored to individual travel needs. These new destinations are part of a broader strategy to tap into high-potential markets.' The expansion highlights the airline's focus on linking diverse markets — from Ahmedabad's entrepreneurial and cultural vibrancy, to Chandigarh's modernist architecture and proximity to the Himalayan foothills, and Dehradun's role as a gateway to Uttarakhand's spiritual and adventure tourism circuit. In addition to flights, Air India Express offers curated travel experiences through its 'Xpress Holidays' platform, bundling accommodation, transport, and activities. The airline also continues its 'Tales of India' livery series, showcasing regional art forms such as Gujarat's Bandhani, Punjab's Phulkari, and Uttarakhand's Aipan on aircraft exteriors — each design paying homage to India's cultural heritage. Air India Express currently operates a fleet of 116 aircraft, comprising 76 Boeing 737s and 40 Airbus A320s. The airline runs over 500 daily flights, including services to 14 international destinations from Bengaluru via one-stop connections, such as Dubai, Doha, Singapore, and Riyadh. The new Bengaluru connections to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Dehradun are expected to boost both business and leisure travel, while enhancing the airline's competitive positioning in India's fast-growing aviation market. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .

The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
False propaganda is being spread branding AIADMK as anti-minorities, says EPS
Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday alleged that a false propaganda was being spread among minorities that the AIADMK had always acted against their welfare. Addressing a public gathering in Vellore as part of his State-wide tour, Mr. Palaniswami said minorities were being made to believe that they would be unsafe under an AIADMK regime. 'This is not true. During its 31 years of [cumulative] rule since the days of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, the AIADMK has always protected the interest of minorities and marginalised sections of society. They [minorities] should not believe the false propaganda,' he said. Mr. Palaniswami listed several welfare measures taken by him and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the welfare of minorities. Under the Jayalalithaa regime, an initiative to distribute free rice to mosques for making nombu kanji (gruel) during the month of Ramzan was launched in 2011, with an allocation of 5,400 tonnes, he said. 'When the Centre stopped extending the grant of ₹6 crore for Haj pilgrims from Tamil Nadu in 2018, the then AIADMK government led by me provided the grant, and even increased it to ₹12 crore in 2021. A permanent accommodation for Haj pilgrims was built in Chennai at a cost of ₹15 crore during AIADMK rule,' he said. In 2015, the then Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, secured around 2.4 lakh crore in foreign direct investment, and signed 98 agreements with multinational companies (MNCs) to provide job opportunities for unemployed educated youth in the State, he said. 'Following in her footsteps, a global investors' meet was organised in Chennai when I was Chief Minister in 2019. I signed 304 agreements with MNCs to get them to set up units and provide jobs in the State. The fruits of our labour are being reaped by the ruling DMK as the youth are getting jobs in these MNCs,' he added.


Economic Times
9 hours ago
- Economic Times
AI Express to start flights to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Dehradun in September
Synopsis Air India Express is set to broaden its operational footprint by introducing new flights to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Dehradun starting in September 2025. The airline will operate two daily flights on the Ahmedabad-Bengaluru and Chandigarh-Bengaluru routes, along with daily flights between Dehradun and Bengaluru. Reuters Expanding its operations, Air India Express will start flights to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Dehradun from September. The airline, which has a fleet of 116 planes, operates over 500 flights daily. "With the addition of Ahmedabad and Chandigarh from September 1, 2025, and Dehradun from September 15, 2025, Air India Express will operate across 41 domestic and 17 international destinations," the airline said in a release on Thursday. There will be two daily flights on the Ahmedabad-Bengaluru and Chandigarh-Bengaluru routes, and daily flights between Dehradun and Bengaluru. Air India Express Managing Director Aloke Singh said that having flights to the new destinations are part of a broader strategy to open new opportunities in high-potential markets. The Tata Group-owned carrier has 76 Boeing 737s and 40 Airbus A320s.