Air India Express's maiden flight from Kozhikode to Riyadh

CALICUT, India - Dec. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Air India Express launched its first flight to Riyadh from Karipur International Airport on Friday, December 2, 2016. IX 321 on the Kozhikode-Riyadh sector departed Kozhikode, 10 minutes prior to its scheduled departure time of 9.15 am, carrying 180 passengers on its maiden flight to Riyadh.  Mr.Mayinkutty from Pappinisery, Kannur who received the first boarding pass on the maiden flight was greeted at the boarding point by CEO Mr. K. ShyamSundar and other senior officials of Air India Express. The crew onboard the inaugural flight included Capt. Sarang V Alone, First Officer  C Salve,along with cabin crew,  C M Remyamol, Archa M S, Nimisha Prasad and A K Mohammed Zaquir.

The flight arrived in Riyadh at 11.45 am (local time). In the return direction, flight IX 322 will depart Riyadh at 01.15 pm (local time) and arrive in Kozhikode at 8.45 pm. This service will be available four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The newly-commenced Kozhikode-Riyadh is the longest service in Air India Express' network. The brand new 737-800 NG aircraft deployed in this sector is equipped to carry more capacity, as it comes with lighter seats and higher performance capabilities.

Air India Express now operates 134services per week between Kozhikode and the Middle East, making Kozhikode the single largest on-line destination for the Airline. With the commencement of operations between Kozhikode and Riyadh, the Air India Express' network now covers 15 Indian cities and 15 international destinations.Air India Express has inducted sixmore aircraft during this financial year, which has enabled the airline to introduce several new routes and increase frequencies on its existing routes. The first half of the year has witnessed the commencement of new operations like New Delhi – Dubai, New Delhi – Abu Dhabi, Mumbai – Dubai, Mumbai – Sharjah, Chandigarh – Sharjah, Tiruchirappalli – Sharjah, and Kochi – Dammam, etc.  The Airline's fleet size now stands at 23.

In response to the market requirement, the airline started offering facilities to book tickets through net banking, in addition to the existing credit/debit card- based online payment mode. The airline generates all its bookings through the web based booking engine. In addition to the complimentary tea, coffee and meals offered on board, Air India Express has recently launched the facility for passengers to buy a special meal of their choice online. Responding to market needs, the airline has enhanced its presence on various social media platforms and its Facebook page, facebook.com/AirIndiaExpressOfficial is being used to share information and to respond to customer feedback.

        BACKGROUND INFO:

Air India Express, India's first international budget airline started operations on April 29, 2005, with three flights, taking off simultaneously from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Currently, Air India Express has 596 weekly departures. The schedule reliability of the service stands at an impressive 100 percent.Air India Express flew 2.6 million passengers in 2014-15; this figure increased to 2.8 million passengers in 2015-16.

The airline has a fleet size of 23 Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, with a seating capacity of 189 passengers.

The target segment of Air India Express is the Indian expatriate, as well as, the Indian budget / leisure travellers. Staying true to its slogan, 'Simply PriceLess', the airline aims at providing non-stop, no frills and cost-effective service to its customers.

Features that make Air India Express unique:

Air India Express has seven operational bases in the country, as well as, one in Dubai, to meet the mission of providing convenient, point-to-point connectivity;


Focuses on operations from Tier II cities in India, to the Gulf and South East Asia;

Air India Express is the only airline operating on the LCC model, to offer free meals to passengers, as well as complimentary tea/coffee on board;

The airline's year-round average, network-wide passenger load factor of 82.3 percent in previous financial year bears adequate testimony to the fact that Air India Express is a preferred airline among its target clients.