The integration of AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, with Air India Express has moved closer to completion after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation approved the two airlines’ flights to be marketed and operated under the common Air India Express brand.
Tata Group’s plan to combine its two low-cost airline businesses has taken another significant step forward.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved the operation of flights currently associated with AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India, under the Air India Express brand ahead of the formal legal merger of the two companies.
The regulatory approval allows the two carriers to move toward a common customer-facing identity while the separate corporate entities continue through the remaining stages of the merger process.
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Add INDYASTORY on GoogleAir India Express described the development as a move that will accelerate the integration of the two airlines.
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AirAsia India flights to use Air India Express branding
Under the approved arrangement, flights operated by the two airlines can be marketed, distributed and operated under the common Air India Express brand.
This means passengers will increasingly encounter one brand when searching for and booking services that are currently split between Air India Express and AIX Connect.
The arrangement is taking effect before the eventual legal merger of the two companies.
That distinction is important because brand integration and legal integration are separate processes.
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Add INDYASTORY on GoogleThe former changes what customers see and how services are presented, while the latter combines the corporate entities under the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
What is AIX Connect?
AIX Connect is the airline previously known as AirAsia India.
It became part of the Tata Group’s broader aviation restructuring as the group worked to bring its airline businesses under a more integrated structure.
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Add INDYASTORY on GoogleAir India Express is the group’s low-cost carrier, while Air India operates as its full-service airline.
Combining AirAsia India’s operations with Air India Express is intended to create a larger low-cost airline platform.
Why the DGCA approval matters
Operating flights under a common airline brand involves more than changing a logo or livery.
Aviation regulators oversee how airlines are marketed, operated and presented to passengers. The DGCA approval therefore provides a regulatory basis for the two businesses to bring their customer-facing operations more closely together before the final legal merger.
Air India Express said the development would accelerate the harmonisation of customer touch points, products and services across both airlines.
For passengers, that could gradually mean a more consistent experience across booking, check-in, travel information and other interactions.
Two airlines moving toward one customer experience
The planned integration is designed to remove some of the differences between the two carriers.
Instead of maintaining separate consumer propositions indefinitely, the airline group is working toward a unified and renewed Air India Express brand.
This can include aligning areas such as:
- Booking and distribution
- Customer interfaces
- Products and services
- Brand presentation
- Passenger communications
- Service standards
The objective is to make the transition less visible to customers while the underlying corporate integration progresses.
Air India Express and AIX Connect have different network footprints
Before the integration, the two airlines operated different networks.
According to the supplied information, Air India Express serves 20 Indian cities and 14 regional international destinations, while AIX Connect serves 19 domestic destinations.
Bringing those networks under one brand can potentially create a broader low-cost network within the Tata Group.
The ultimate network structure will depend on fleet availability, airport capacity, route economics and the completed integration.
Unified website was an early step
The airlines had already begun integrating their customer-facing systems before the latest regulatory approval.
In March, Air India Express and AIX Connect introduced a unified website at airindiaexpress.com.
The platform allowed customers to access services from both carriers through a single website.
This was an important digital step because customers no longer had to treat the two airlines as completely separate online experiences.
The website integration also created a foundation for the broader brand transition.
What happens to the separate airline identities?
The next stage is expected to involve deeper harmonisation of the two businesses.
Air India Express has said that a unified and renewed brand would be introduced within the coming months.
That suggests the transition will extend beyond simply placing Air India Express branding on AIX Connect flights.
Products, service standards, customer touch points and other aspects of the passenger experience are expected to become increasingly aligned.
The exact timing and details of those changes remain dependent on the airline group’s integration programme and regulatory requirements.
Tata Group’s broader airline consolidation
The merger forms part of the Tata Group’s wider strategy to streamline its aviation operations.
The group has been working to bring multiple airline businesses into a more coherent structure following its return to control of Air India.
The intended result is a clearer division between the full-service Air India operation and the low-cost Air India Express platform.
For the low-cost segment, combining AIX Connect with Air India Express can create greater scale.
For customers, the most visible result will be a common airline brand.
Why scale matters for a low-cost carrier
Low-cost airlines depend heavily on efficient operations.
A larger combined fleet and network can potentially provide better aircraft utilisation, more route flexibility and greater purchasing or operational efficiencies.
However, achieving those benefits requires significant coordination.
Airlines must integrate aircraft, crews, schedules, airport operations, reservation systems, maintenance processes and customer service.
The regulatory approval for common branding is therefore one milestone within a much larger integration project.
One brand can simplify the passenger journey
From a traveller’s perspective, one of the most useful effects of the integration could be simplification.
A customer may no longer need to know which legacy company is actually operating a particular service.
Instead, Air India Express becomes the primary consumer-facing identity.
A single website, common products and more consistent service policies can reduce confusion during the transition.
The success of that effort will depend on how quickly the remaining systems and processes are brought into alignment.
The legal merger is still a separate milestone
The DGCA approval does not mean that the legal merger has already been completed.
The two entities still need to proceed through the remaining steps required to formally combine them.
That means the current phase is best understood as operational and brand integration ahead of legal consolidation.
For investors, industry observers and passengers, keeping those stages separate is important when assessing the progress of the merger.
What customers can expect next
The immediate change is that eligible flights from the two low-cost operations can be marketed and operated under the Air India Express name.
Further changes are expected as the brand integration continues.
Passengers can expect the airline group to work toward more consistent products, customer interfaces and service standards.
The unified website already provides one example of this process.
The next stage will be the broader rollout of the renewed Air India Express proposition.
Air India Express moves closer to a unified low-cost airline
The DGCA approval marks a significant step in Tata Group’s plan to integrate AIX Connect and Air India Express.
The two carriers can now move toward operating under one customer-facing brand while the formal legal merger continues.
For Air India Express, the plan is to combine the two businesses’ scale and networks while creating greater consistency in the passenger experience.
For travellers, the most visible change will be the gradual disappearance of the distinction between the AirAsia India legacy operation and Air India Express.
The integration is not yet the final legal merger, but the common-brand approval brings the Tata Group’s low-cost airline consolidation considerably closer to becoming a single, unified customer proposition.
