AI Express to launch new routes

Air India Express, the low-cost arm of national carrier Air India, plans to fly between Delhi and the Iranian capital of Tehran from early next year. The airline is in the process of finalising a general sales agent (GSA) and cargo-handling firm before launching flights on this international sector.

The Kochi-headquartered airline serves mostly to the aviation markets in the Gulf & Middle East, South East Asia and other neighbouring countries to tap the huge traffic.

Air India Express CEO K Shyamsunder hoped that the new service will commence from MarchApril next year.

“We are hopeful of getting things done (the launch of flight) around summers,” he said.

The airline currently operates 475 services a week to 13 international airports across the Gulf and South-east Asia with as many as 236 flights to and from Kerala. It has a fleet of 22 B-737 planes with 17 of them owned and the remaining on operating lease.

As Iran was under global sanctions till recently, the airline will have to inform the Exim Bank of the US about the new air service.

This is mandatory as the aircraft operated by Air India Express is financed through a loan from the Exim Bank. The parent Air India would soon be writing to the bank about the Tehran flight.

THE AIRLINE currently operates 475 services a week to 13 international airports across the Gulf and South-east Asia with as many as 236 flights to and from Kerala.