Air India Express, the value carrier of the Air India Group, is set to operate around 585 daily flights under its Winter Schedule 2026, making it the airline’s largest winter network to date.
The schedule, effective from October 25 and to be rolled out in phases, will comprise around 435 domestic and up to 150 international departures a day. The airline’s network will expand to 65 stations and 220 routes, including more than 40 new routes across domestic and international markets.
The international network will grow from 83 routes currently to more than 100, as Air India Express expands connectivity between Indian cities and key destinations in West Asia and Southeast Asia.
Weekly flights to rise nearly 30%
The airline’s operations will increase from around 3,150 weekly flights in the Summer 2026 schedule to nearly 4,100 weekly flights in the Winter 2026 schedule, an increase of about 30%.
One-stop connectivity will also expand from around 1,330 weekly connections to nearly 1,600, giving passengers more options to connect across the airline’s growing network.
The expansion is being supported by a fleet of more than 105 aircraft and increased capacity across domestic and international markets.
International network gets wider
The new international routes include Abu Dhabi–Goa (Mopa), Amritsar–Abu Dhabi, Bahrain–Thiruvananthapuram, Bangkok–Indore, Bangkok–Kochi and Bangkok–Visakhapatnam.
Air India Express will also introduce Bengaluru–Kathmandu, Bhopal–Sharjah, Chandigarh–Sharjah, Chennai–Singapore, Delhi–Riyadh, Dubai–Goa (Dabolim), Kochi–Kuwait and Lucknow–Riyadh services.
Other new international links include Mangaluru–Kuwait, Mangaluru–Ras Al Khaimah, Mumbai–Kuwait, Phuket–Hyderabad, Riyadh–Thiruvananthapuram and Sharjah–Surat.
Chennai–Singapore will operate 14 times a week, while Dubai–Goa (Dabolim) and Bengaluru–Kathmandu will each operate daily.
Domestic connectivity expands
The Winter Schedule will also add several domestic links, including Ahmedabad–Delhi, Bengaluru–Coimbatore, Bengaluru–Goa (Mopa), Bengaluru–Jodhpur and Bengaluru–Madurai.
Bengaluru–Coimbatore will operate 14 times a week, while several other routes, including Ahmedabad–Delhi, Bengaluru–Goa, Bengaluru–Jodhpur, Bengaluru–Madurai, Delhi–Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), Delhi–Udaipur and Hyderabad–Pune, will operate daily.
The airline will also connect Bhubaneswar with Sri Vijaya Puram, Bhopal with Navi Mumbai, Delhi with Jaipur, Hyderabad with Mangaluru, Indore with Navi Mumbai, Kolkata with Pune and Mumbai with Nagpur.
Focus on disciplined growth
The expansion comes as Indian aviation continues to see strong demand for domestic and international connectivity, while airlines face elevated fuel costs and other operating pressures.
Air India Express Chairman Nipun Aggarwal said the scale of the Winter Schedule reflects the airline’s confidence in India’s growth story and the growing role of air connectivity in supporting trade, tourism and economic development.
“As a leading value carrier, Air India Express is focused on making travel more accessible, convenient, and comfortable by strengthening connectivity across metros, emerging cities, and underserved markets,” Aggarwal said.
He added that the airline remains focused on disciplined and sustainable growth while seeking to deliver value through a relevant network and Indian hospitality.
The Winter Schedule 2026 marks another significant step in Air India Express’ network expansion, with the airline seeking to deepen its presence across Indian metros, emerging cities and international markets while using its expanding fleet to increase both direct and connecting travel options.