As part of the agreement between the two Tata group airlines, Air India Express and AirAsia India have started offering interline bookings to enable customers to travel seamlessly across their entire domestic and international networks amid the ongoing merger process.
The two airlines issued a joint statement on Monday saying that under the arrangement, customers can book a single itinerary for both airlines, including a single PNR (passenger name record) on the common website as well as other OTAs (online travel agencies) and travel partners. .
Low-cost carrier AirAsia India (renamed AIX Connect) operates domestic routes, while Indian Express operates overseas routes.
AIX Connect is being integrated and merged with Air India Express.
According to the statement, apart from a single PNR facility, passengers will also be issued a single boarding pass at the departure airport while traveling on domestic flights with AirAsia India and connecting international flights with Air India Express.
“However, customs and immigration formalities need to be processed at the airport from which the connecting flight departs, while the luggage can be tagged to the final destination,” it said.
- Also read: Akasa Air moves Delhi High Court seeking criminal action against 36 pilots
“Our continued efforts to integrate Air India Express and AirAsia India, even as we proceed with the full merger, are now bearing fruit and a strong integrated network is emerging.
Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express and AirAsia India, said: “Network coverage spans India, the Gulf and Middle East and South East Asia and will be further enhanced with our upcoming fleet expansion.”
“Both airlines have a fleet of 54 aircraft, jointly connecting 44 destinations and operating over 250 routes across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” the statement said, adding that the two airlines have coordinated a range of ancillary services – Services and sub-brands.
Singh said the interline arrangement enables passengers to book and transfer seamlessly between sectors operated by both airlines as if it were done on the same network.
Earlier this year, the two airlines launched a joint website that enables users to book, manage services and check-in for flights on both airlines’ domestic and international routes through an integrated back-end passenger service system.
