AirAsia India inducts 19th aircraft, adds 2 new routes

With the induction of the latest Airbus A320, the Tata Sons-AirAsia group joint venture airline is now just one plane short of the mandatory 20 aircraft for starting international operations by a domestic carrier.

The 19th aircraft will be based at AirAsia's Kolkata hub and will be deployed for operating daily flights on Hyderabad-Kolkata and Hyderabad-Indore routes, which are being launched from October 1, the airline said in a statement.

The bookings for new routes are open from today. "The airline is focused on expanding its presence in tier II/III cities, providing affordable airfares and improved services for flyers," the budget carrier said.

The new aircraft will also help the airline enhance the frequency of flights between Hyderabad and Bengaluru, it said, adding in addition, guests can travel from Indore to Kolkata through Hyderabad as well.

The Bengaluru-based airline currently flies to 21 destinations, from its three hubs - Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata - covering Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Guwahati, Imphal, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Indore, Surat, Amritsar and Chennai.