Air India Express announces Its Largest-Ever Winter Schedule 2026
Air India Express’ Winter Schedule 2026 is a major expansion, marking its largest winter network yet and underscoring its ambition to be India’s leading value carrier with strong international reach.
Scale of Operations
- Start Date: 25 October 2026 (rolled out in phases).
- Flights per Day: ~585 (435 domestic + up to 150 international).
- Weekly Flights: Expanding from ~3,150 in Summer 2026 to ~4,100 in Winter 2026.
- Fleet: Over 105 aircraft supporting the expanded schedule.
- One-stop Connectivity: Increasing from ~1,330 to ~1,600 weekly connections.
International Routes
- Abu Dhabi – Goa (Mopa): 3x Weekly
- Amritsar – Abu Dhabi: 3x Weekly
- Bahrain – Thiruvananthapuram: 2x Weekly
- Bangkok – Indore: 4x Weekly
- Bangkok – Kochi: 4x Weekly
- Bangkok – Visakhapatnam: 2x Weekly
- Bengaluru – Kathmandu: 7x Weekly
- Bhopal – Sharjah: 3x Weekly
- Chandigarh – Sharjah: 4x Weekly
- Chennai – Singapore: 14x Weekly
- Delhi – Riyadh: 4x Weekly
- Dubai – Goa (Dabolim): 7x Weekly
- Kochi – Kuwait: 3x Weekly
- Lucknow – Ras Al Khaimah: 4x Weekly
- Lucknow – Riyadh: 3x Weekly
- Mangaluru – Kuwait: 3x Weekly
- Mangaluru – Ras Al Khaimah: 2x Weekly
- Mumbai – Kuwait: 3x Weekly
- Phuket – Hyderabad: 4x Weekly
- Riyadh – Thiruvananthapuram: 3x Weekly
- Sharjah – Surat: 3x Weekly
Domestic Routes
- Ahmedabad – Delhi: 7x Weekly
- Bengaluru – Coimbatore: 14x Weekly
- Bengaluru – Goa (Mopa): 7x Weekly
- Bengaluru – Jodhpur: 7x Weekly
- Bengaluru – Madurai: 7x Weekly
- Bhubaneswar – Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair): 4x Weekly
- Bhopal – Navi Mumbai: 3x Weekly
- Delhi – Jaipur: 5x Weekly
- Delhi – Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair): 7x Weekly
- Delhi – Udaipur: 7x Weekly
- Hyderabad – Mangaluru: 3x Weekly
- Hyderabad – Pune: 7x Weekly
- Indore – Navi Mumbai: 4x Weekly
- Kolkata – Pune: 2x Weekly
- Mumbai – Nagpur: 7x Weekly
Strategic Significance
- Confidence in India’s Growth Story: Chairman Nipun Aggarwal emphasized connectivity as a driver of trade, tourism, and economic development.
- Value Carrier Positioning: Despite fuel cost pressures, Air India Express is focusing on sustainable growth and accessible travel.
- Network Depth: More than 40 new routes broaden reach across metros, emerging cities, and underserved markets.
This expansion positions Air India Express as a bridge between India and key international hubs, while also strengthening domestic connectivity in underserved regions.
