Air India Express has unveiled the vision for the organisation that would be formed with the merger and integration with AIX Connect, currently operating as AirAsia India. The airline also charted the path forward, building on the key milestones already achieved as part of the Air India Group’s ongoing 5-year transformation journey, Vihaan.AI.
The vision and key differentiators build on the shared brand purpose of Air India and Air India Express, ‘to transform a national institution into national inspiration’. Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express and AIX Connect, articulated the airline’s Vision ‘to inspire new possibilities and make meaningful connections with unmatched warmth’ in a town hall to employees of both airlines, elaborating on the focus areas of integration, growth and transformation, the inflection point that the airline is on, and the aspirations and ambitions for growth.
Talking about the vision, differentiators and path ahead, Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express and AIX Connect, said, “Our resolute vision encapsulates our key differentiators – making meaningful connections, delivering unique experiences and providing best-in-class value with Indian warmth. Our ambitions will ride upon our huge fleet and network expansion, in the domestic India market as well as short-haul international region – Unlocking synergies with the merger of the two entities, and network integration with Air India; Growth and expansion, for a meaningful market presence as well as cost-efficiencies; and Achieving excellence in all areas, becoming a preferred brand for a confident new India.”
The differentiators detail the airline’s business model and brand promise in the run up to the brand launch of Air India Express, expected to be unveiled within the next couple of months:
Meaningful Connections: Nurture ‘meaningful connections’ that transcend borders, bringing people, communities, and cultures closer together, to embody the spirit and diversity of India, making every journey a delightful and memorable travel experience.
Unique Experiences: Curate and deliver ‘unique experiences’ with unmatched Indian warmth, leveraging technology to make journeys frictionless and personalised. The product offerings and service experience will embody the warmth of Indian hospitality, with services like Gourmair, the airline’s award-winning in-flight dining brand, curated to cater to diverse culinary preferences with a wide range of regional and healthy hot meals and lite bites.
Best-in-Class Value: The pursuit of ‘best-in-class’ value goes beyond the fundamentals of cost and business model, offering customisable and relevant services for each guest and journey, based on their preferences and aptitude, while retaining consistent and reliable operational efficiency.
Specific projects have been identified to achieve these aspirations, focussing on enhancing the guest experience, optimising the network for market dominance, streamlining operations with a digital-first approach, fostering talent with an innovative and winning culture, and creating value for all stakeholders through sustainable practices, transparent decision-making, and prudent governance.
Earlier this year, AIX Connect and Air India Express launched the unified website, airindiaexpress.com, allowing users to book and manage services from both airlines on domestic and international sectors; common social media handles (airindiax) and support channels; and an integrated Passenger Service System. Both airlines have also synergized a host of other ancillary add-on services and sub-brands, including Gourmair in-flight dining, Xpress Prime seats, and Xpress Ahead priority services. The airlines also recently announced the harmonisation of new grades, compensation, and benefits with Air India, enabling a unified structure and streamlining career paths across the Air India group.