Air India Express has been recognised among India's top four brand movers in October 2026 in the latest YouGov BrandIndex rankings, reflecting improvements in consumer perception and growing confidence in the airline. The monthly rankings track consumer perceptions of more than 500 brands in India, identifying those that record significant gains across key brand performance measures.

The airline registered improvements across five metrics: Buzz, Reputation, Recommend, Consideration and Current Customer. These measures reflect different aspects of consumer awareness, brand reputation, willingness to recommend a brand, purchase consideration and perceptions among existing customers.

The recognition comes as Air India Express continues to strengthen its market position through network expansion, fleet modernisation and initiatives focused on customer experience. The airline has reported a significant improvement in its Net Promoter Score (NPS), which measures customers' willingness to recommend its services, indicating progress in guest satisfaction and advocacy.

Fleet modernisation is another key part of the airline's growth strategy, with more than two-thirds of its fleet now comprising brand-new aircraft.

Air India Express has also introduced initiatives that highlight its brand identity and connection with India's cultural diversity. Its Tales of India aircraft tail art programme showcases elements of Indian art and culture, while Gourmair, the airline's inflight dining experience, features food inspired by the country's diverse culinary traditions. These initiatives form part of its efforts to create a distinctive travel experience for passengers.

Largest-Ever Winter Schedule Takes Off

The brand recognition coincides with the launch of Air India Express's largest-ever winter schedule, which commenced on 25 October 2026. The airline plans to progressively scale its operations to approximately 585 daily flights, including around 435 domestic and up to 150 international departures.

The expanded schedule will be supported by a fleet of more than 105 aircraft, strengthening connectivity across India and key international markets in South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia.

The increased flight operations are expected to provide passengers with more travel options and improved connectivity across the airline's network. The expansion also supports Air India Express's broader focus on serving growing demand for domestic and international travel.

With improvements in brand perception, continued fleet modernisation and an expanding flight network, Air India Express is working to strengthen its position in India's competitive aviation market. Its latest YouGov BrandIndex recognition highlights the progress recorded across consumer perception measures as the airline continues to develop its operations and customer offering.

Air India has commenced construction of a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), marking another step towards strengthening its aircraft maintenance capabilities in India. The project aims to improve operational efficiency, enhance fleet reliability and reduce the airline's dependence on external maintenance services.

Spread across nine acres, the upcoming facility is designed to accommodate one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. According to Air India, it will be the first facility in Delhi capable of handling both aircraft types at the same time, allowing the airline to bring key engineering and maintenance activities under one roof. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 22 October 2026 in the presence of Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, along with senior executives from the airline and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

Other attendees included P Balaji, Group Head – Governance, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Affairs at Air India; Basil Kwauk, Chief Operations Officer at Air India; Jeremy Yew, Senior Vice President – Engineering & Maintenance at Air India; Manomay Rai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of DIAL; Vijay K Sharma, Vice President and Head – Aviation Services Business at DIAL; and Deepika Sharma, AGM – Aero Related, Commercial Aero, DIAL, among others.

The new hangar is expected to support Air India's efforts to build stronger in-house maintenance capabilities while improving aircraft availability and operational performance. By bringing inspections, cabin maintenance and technical defect repairs together, the facility aims to reduce the time aircraft spend on the ground.

The facility will integrate engineering offices with an on-site spare-parts warehouse, helping maintenance teams access the equipment and technical support required for aircraft repairs. This integrated approach is expected to reduce fragmented workflows, improve coordination and lower logistics costs. A dedicated Cabin Shop will focus on repairing and maintaining aircraft interiors. By handling more cabin-related work in-house, Air India aims to reduce its reliance on third-party vendors, speed up repairs and minimise cabin-related defects.

The facility is also expected to improve the recovery of aircraft grounded because of technical issues. Direct access to engineering teams and spare parts will help accelerate troubleshooting and repairs, potentially reducing operational disruptions and supporting a more reliable passenger experience.

Designed for long-term scalability, the hangar will feature a 25-metre clear height and large column-free spans to accommodate next-generation aircraft. The facility will also incorporate advanced fire protection measures and follow strict safety standards. The project aligns with Air India's environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments through adherence to Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Building norms, with provisions for energy and water conservation.

The development represents another investment in India's aviation maintenance infrastructure. As Air India continues to strengthen its engineering operations, the new Delhi facility is expected to support more efficient fleet management and improve the airline's ability to maintain aircraft at its largest hub. By expanding its in-house maintenance capacity, Air India aims to strengthen operational self-reliance while contributing to the wider development of India's aviation and aircraft maintenance ecosystem.

Air India and Standard Chartered have announced a partnership combining premium airline loyalty benefits with international banking and wealth management services for affluent Global Indian clients in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The proposition is expected to become available in the coming weeks.

The collaboration brings together Air India's Maharaja Club loyalty programme and Standard Chartered's cross-border financial capabilities, targeting customers whose travel, business and financial interests span multiple countries.

Maharaja Club Status and Travel Privileges

Under the partnership, eligible affluent Global Indian clients of Standard Chartered in Singapore and the UAE will be offered Maharaja Club Gold or Silver status, providing access to a range of airline loyalty benefits.

Depending on their membership tier, customers can receive additional baggage allowance, priority check-in and boarding, airport lounge access, upgrade vouchers and bonus Maharaja Points.

Gold membership also provides Star Alliance Gold status, extending travel privileges across the Star Alliance network of 25 other member airlines in addition to Air India. Benefits include access to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide, priority airport services and additional baggage benefits, subject to applicable programme conditions.

The offering is designed to give eligible banking customers access to premium travel privileges while strengthening their engagement with Air India's loyalty ecosystem.

Cross-Border Banking and Wealth Management

Beyond travel, the partnership will offer eligible Air India customers who bank with Standard Chartered in Singapore or the UAE access to financial and relationship management services.

These include dedicated relationship management support, market outlook insights from the bank's Chief Investment Office, invitations to exclusive thought leadership events and tailored wealth solutions designed to address cross-border financial requirements.

The proposition reflects the needs of Global Indians who may manage investments, businesses and personal financial commitments across multiple markets. By combining travel privileges with wealth management support, the partnership seeks to offer a broader proposition beyond conventional airline loyalty benefits.

Rajesh Kannan, Head, Wealth and Retail Banking, UAE & Jersey, and Head, Global Indian Clients, Standard Chartered, said the collaboration brings together two established brands to serve customers whose lives and ambitions increasingly span borders. He highlighted the combination of Air India's international network and the bank's wealth management expertise as central to the proposition.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said the partnership would help extend Maharaja Club across key international markets, offering eligible customers premium status, enhanced travel benefits and global recognition while supporting their increasingly international lifestyles.

Maharaja Club's Expanding Loyalty Ecosystem

Air India redesigned Maharaja Club in 2024 with a simplified structure, revised membership tiers and an updated identity. Since then, the programme has added millions of members, according to the airline.

Members can earn and redeem Maharaja Points on eligible flights operated by Air India and Air India Express across 104 destinations, as well as on flights operated by other Star Alliance member airlines.

The programme also has partnerships with more than 100 brands across hospitality, retail, lifestyle and financial services, allowing members to earn Maharaja Points through a wider range of travel and everyday spending.

The Standard Chartered partnership adds another financial services relationship to this broader ecosystem, linking airline loyalty with international banking and wealth management.

As airlines increasingly look beyond flight-based rewards to deepen customer relationships, the collaboration highlights an approach that connects travel privileges with the wider financial and lifestyle needs of internationally mobile customers