AirAsia Reinforces Its Commitment to the Indian Market with Expanded Network

AirAsia Reinforces Its Commitment to the Indian Market with Expanded Network

By Author

Published on November 18, 2023

AirAsia, the acclaimed low-cost airline, is reaffirming its dedication to the Indian market by bolstering its network, connecting Indian travelers to an array of 130 destinations across Asia and the Asia Pacific. This move highlights AirAsia's ongoing commitment to maintaining a robust presence in the Indian aviation sector.

Currently, AirAsia operates a substantial network, servicing 10 routes directly from India to Malaysia and Thailand. This includes 104 weekly flights from short-haul airlines AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) and AirAsia Thailand (flight code FD). Additionally, medium-haul affiliate AirAsia X Malaysia (flight code D7) offers two direct routes from New Delhi and Amritsar to Kuala Lumpur with 8 flights weekly.

AirAsia's growth ensures a comprehensive and seamless travel experience, particularly through its Fly-Thru connectivity. This service allows passengers to book flights from India to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other destinations in one seamless booking, transforming international travel into a more accessible and affordable experience.

Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group Limited, remarked, “India has always been a key market for AirAsia. We have flown over 1.6 million guests from India this year, showcasing our strength in fares and connectivity. Our new route to Thiruvananthapuram and expansion plans are part of our commitment to making international travel from India accessible and affordable.”

Manoj Dharmani, AirAsia Head of Regional Commercial (India), also emphasized the airline's dedication to the Indian market, highlighting the expansion to 11 destinations in India and a total of 104 weekly flights. This development makes AirAsia a critical link between India and the global travel landscape.

AirAsia is currently offering promotional fares starting from INR 6,999 one-way to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Bali, Phuket, and Sydney, valid for travel until 30 September 2024. These fares are available for booking on the AirAsia website and Superapp until 26 November 2023.

AirAsia, a part of Capital A, began in 2001 when Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun transformed an ailing airline into a leading low-cost carrier in Asia. The airline, known for its tagline 'Now Everyone Can Fly,' has since carried close to a billion passengers to over 130 destinations in 23 countries, democratizing air travel in the region.

With its expanded network and ongoing initiatives, AirAsia is set to continue its trajectory as a leading player in the aviation industry, connecting India to the world and underlining its commitment to affordable and accessible air travel for all.


SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

By Hariharan U

Published on October 22, 2025

SpiceJet has announced a major expansion of its domestic network ahead of Chhath Puja and Diwali, strengthening connectivity to Bihar with new and additional flights to Patna and Darbhanga.

The airline has introduced new flights to Patna from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, along with increased frequencies from Delhi and Mumbai. In addition, Darbhanga has gained extra services from Delhi and Mumbai, further improving accessibility for travellers heading home during the festive season.

These routes build upon SpiceJet’s existing operations to Patna from Delhi, Mumbai, and Guwahati, and to Darbhanga from Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. The new flights commenced in a phased rollout from October 10, 2025, ensuring greater travel flexibility and convenience for passengers amid the festive rush.

Earlier this month, SpiceJet also introduced special daily non-stop Diwali flights to Ayodhya from Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, enabling devotees and tourists easier access to the Shri Ram Temple during the celebrations.

Commenting on the development, Debojo Maharshi, Chief Business Officer, SpiceJet, said, “The festive season holds immense significance for millions of our passengers, and we are delighted to make travel home for Chhath Puja and Diwali more convenient and accessible. With enhanced connectivity to Patna, Darbhanga, and Ayodhya, SpiceJet continues to play a key role in bringing people closer to their loved ones for celebrations that matter most.”

The expansion underscores SpiceJet’s commitment to meeting evolving travel demand, particularly during high-traffic festive periods, by offering affordable, direct, and seamless connectivity across India’s key regional hubs.


IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 20, 2025

IndiGo and Digi Yatra have announced a new app-to-app integration that allows IndiGo flyers to share boarding passes directly with the Digi Yatra app. The collaboration enhances contactless, biometric-enabled travel while ensuring user consent, data privacy, and faster passenger processing at airports.

IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has partnered with Digi Yatra, the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based ecosystem that uses facial biometric technology for contactless passenger processing, to enable this direct integration between their mobile applications. The initiative eliminates the need for passengers to manually scan or upload boarding passes on the Digi Yatra app.

After completing web check-in, IndiGo flyers can now simply click “Share with Digi Yatra” within the IndiGo app to securely transfer their boarding pass. This process ensures that passenger consent is obtained at every step and that only essential data is shared with authorised Digi Yatra verifiers at airports.

Designed with privacy by design principles, the transaction occurs entirely offline through deep linking between the two apps, without involving any cloud or server processing. This ensures data integrity, authenticity, and enhanced security while improving convenience for travellers.

Commenting on the development, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said,

“Our mission is to transform air travel into a seamless, secure, and paperless experience for every passenger. This collaboration with IndiGo marks a significant milestone in that journey. By integrating our technology directly with IndiGo’s app, we are enabling travellers to enjoy faster check-ins, smoother boarding, and enhanced convenience. As more airlines and airports embrace our ecosystem, we will continue to innovate and support India’s vision for digital transformation in travel.”

Neetan Chopra, Chief Information and Digital Officer, IndiGo, added,

“Every year, we fly millions of customers who trust us for our promise of safe, on-time, and hassle-free travel. This partnership with Digi Yatra takes our commitment to customer convenience a step further by enabling a smooth, contactless boarding journey. We are thrilled to be among the first airlines to adopt this technology and remain focused on leveraging innovation to make air travel simpler, faster, and more enjoyable.”

This collaboration underscores the aviation industry’s shared commitment to digital innovation and highlights growing confidence in Digi Yatra’s secure, paperless travel ecosystem as India moves closer to a fully digital airport experience.


Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 14, 2025

Etihad Airways is focusing on premium travel and customer segmentation to boost its business in India, one of its top three global markets, while operating at full capacity under a bilateral seat agreement with the country.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been upgrading its services with new aircraft and enhanced cabin experiences to attract high-value travellers. Since relaunching flights to Kolkata in March 2023, Etihad increased its weekly frequency from four to eight flights by 2025. Across India, the airline now operates 185 flights a week to 11 cities.

“We fly all the seats that the bilateral agreement allows us,” said Javier Alija, Etihad Airways Vice President for Global Sales and Distribution. The agreement caps 50,000 weekly seats for Abu Dhabi-based carriers, shared between Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Until the agreement changes, the airline cannot add more frequencies or destinations.

To overcome these capacity constraints, Etihad is building partnerships, including a tie-up with Akasa Air, connecting four Indian cities to Abu Dhabi. The airline is also enhancing the passenger experience for long-haul travellers, especially to the US, with Abu Dhabi’s new terminal and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance. This allows passengers to arrive in the US as domestic travellers, saving time at immigration.

Kolkata is the first Indian city to receive Etihad’s new A321 LR aircraft, featuring a redesigned cabin with just 160 seats, two first-class suites, 14 business, and 144 economy seats, offering a widebody-like experience in a narrow-body aircraft. “This reflects Kolkata’s strong premium travel potential,” Alija said.

Etihad’s focus on yield optimisation and operational efficiency has helped the airline achieve record financial results. For the current year, it expects 21–22% growth in seat capacity, 22–23% increase in revenue, and a 30% rise in absolute profit, supported by expansions in other markets. The airline plans to launch 13 new international routes by year-end, aiming to serve nearly 90 destinations worldwide.

Alija added, “Even if our frequencies and destinations remain static, these customer-focused and operational efforts ensure Etihad continues to be the preferred airline for Indian travellers. We are very conscious that our rapid growth should not compromise the financial gains we have achieved.”

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