Air India Express Plans A321Neo Debut, Expands Domestic Network

Air India Express is set to launch its first Airbus A321neo services as it prepares to expand its network with around 20 new domestic routes in the coming weeks.

According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, A321neo operations will begin on April 15 with flights between New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR).

The aircraft will also be deployed on the New Delhi-Srinagar route starting the same day. A third A321neo-operated route, connecting New Delhi and Ayodhya, is scheduled to launch on April 20.

The LCC currently operates a fleet of 102 aircraft, according to CAPA – Centre for Aviation data, including 36 A320-family aircraft, 25 Boeing 737-800s, and 42 Boeing 737-8s. The fleet has nearly doubled since the airline’s merger with AIX Connect in October 2024, growing from 54 aircraft in January 2022.

The planned launch of A321neo services comes as Air India Express prepares to increase its domestic network, adding about 20 new routes from late March onward. Among the upcoming launches are daily flights between Bangalore and Srinagar using 737-8s from March 30, and daily Pune-Indore services operated by A320s starting the same day.

Goa’s Manohar International Airport will see five new routes, with connections to Bangalore, Chennai, Indore, New Delhi, Patna and Surat, while three new routes are being opened from Ghaziabad to Bhubaneswar, Chennai and Mumbai.

Other network additions include Chennai-Patna, Mumbai-Kannur and Hyderabad-Ranchi.

OAG data shows that Air India Express is set to provide approximately 668,000 weekly seats by late April, including about 496,000 on domestic routes. This will give the LCC a 12.3% share of the domestic market, behind IndiGo on 62% and parent company Air India on 15.6%.