New Delhi: The Tata Group is set to launch a rebranded Air India Express next week, promising a fresh, vibrant and visually-engaging airline targeting India’s budget-friendly aviation market, according to three people in the know seeking anonymity.
The event is set to take place on 18 October, one of the people, a senior executive, said.
Mint reported on 13 August that the fresh brand identity of Air India Express is likely to be unveiled in October. It is likely to retain its unique tail art.
This move will position Air India Express as the flagship low-cost offering for domestic travel within the group, while its parent company, Air India, will offer a premium service on international routes and connect major Indian cities.
Air India was the first group airline to undergo a rebranding effort, unveiling the ‘vista’ logo inspired by windows, featuring a palette of gold, purple, and red. For Air India Express, it will be a blend of the old and new, a second executive said. “The tail art will continue in the new branding. The livery was liked by flyers. The idea is to showcase the art forms, including culture and jewellery. The livery will continue to be inspired by it but the portrayal will not be traditional in nature as Air India Express approaches the idea of youth and vibrancy in its brand identity,” he added.
Queries to Air India Express spokesperson did not elicit any response till press time.
As part of the Centres strategic divestment programme, the Tata group acquired both Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express in January 2022.
In November 2022, the Tata group announced the merger of AirAsia India and Air India Express. As a part of the transaction, AirAsia Bhd divested its 16.67% stake in the airline for ₹155.65 crore.
While the merger of the two airlines took its combined fleet to 56 aircraft, it is set to increase substantially over the next one year as the airline will induct at least 50 of the 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that Air India ordered in February.
At least two Boeing 737 MAX with the new livery will be inducted within two weeks, a third official said. It plans to induct two-three aircraft in its fleet every month, giving the required heft to Air India Express’ coverage across more destinations and increased frequencies.
“Integration, growth, transformation… to-be-revealed something BIG is about this, and much more! It will mark the start of a new chapter in our journey. Over next 15 months, 50 new B737 MAX aircraft will join the LCC fleet. Our focus is the preparedness for deploying this capacity,” said Aloke Singh, managing director, Air India Express and AirAsia India in an internal mail to told employees.
Tata Group seeks to garner a 30% share of the domestic market, the company said.
Download the Mint app and read premium stories
Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It’ll just take a moment.
You are just one step away from creating your watchlist!
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.
Your session has expired, please login again.
You are now subscribed to our newsletters. In case you can’t find any email from our side, please check the spam folder.
This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp