AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India, will stop operations after 11 years. The aircraft registered under its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) would be transferred to Air India Express’s AOC as part of the legal merger.
AIX Connect and the airline designator code ‘I5’ will become a thing of the past in this first week of October, when the no-frills carrier merges with Air India Express.
Air India Express and AIX Connect currently operate approximately 400 flights per day, with ambitions to extend this number. The merged fleet is made up of 88 aircraft, comprising 61 Boeing 737 NGs and MAXs and 27 A320 ceos and neos. After the legal merger, all AIX Connect flights will use Air India Express’s ‘IX’ code rather than ‘I5’.
A war room has been functioning for three months to enable a smooth transition including numerous parties such as lessors and airports. This merger is also considered as a model for future mergers, such as the one between Vistara and Air India, which is planned to take place in November.
The Air India Express and AIX Connect merger will result in a uniform rostering system for employees. The two airlines already have a unified website, distribution system, and customer service. In July 2023, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved AIX Connect’s operations under the Air India Express name. However, some difficulties, notably those involving the cabin crew, persist.
Following merger, the combined workforce will be roughly 6,000 strong, with around 4,000 cabin crew members. AIX Connect, which debuted in 2014 as a budget carrier jointly owned by Tatas and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad, was rebranded in December 2022. The merger marks a significant consolidation of the developing Indian aviation market.
The AirAsia India brand was discontinued on October 31, 2023, and the airline now flies flights for Air India Express. AirAsia India’s first flight took to the skies in June 2014, six months before Vistara began flying in India.
Meanwhile, the group’s Air India-Vistara merger is set for November. They already have a common website, distribution system, and customer service in place.
Why is Vistara merging with Air India?
The Tata Group, which controls both airlines, intends to streamline operations and become a full-service carrier capable of competing with global airlines. The combination will help Air India to enhance its fleet, create additional routes, and streamline the travel experience for consumers, according to the airline. As part of the merger, the two airlines’ loyalty programs will be combined, making Flying Returns the sole program for earning and redeeming points across the merged company.
A top Air India official declared on Monday that a comprehensive enterprise assessment of all systems had been completed, and the integration process is already underway as part of Vistara’s imminent merger with Air India. Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, is slated to combine with Air India in November, marking an important milestone in the aviation industry.
The merger of Vistara and Air India, two major full-service carriers, was announced in November 2022, and the process has been moving forward slowly since then. Murali Karthik, Vice President and Head of Enterprise IT at Air India, emphasized the necessity of a data-driven decision-making process and a highly integrated system to facilitate a smooth transition and maximum operational efficiency during the merger.
Will the mergers improve quality?
According to sources, the industry received merger announcements with skepticism. Many people wonder whether Air India can match Vistara’s service standards. Observers also question if the combination will help customers in any manner. Many people on social media sites expressed concern that Vistara’s devoted consumers may abandon the company.