Air India Express launched

Fulfilling a long-pending demand of Keralites and other expatriates, Air India Express, the country's first international budget airline, was  formally launched on April 29th, with the inaugural Boeing 737-800 flight taking off from Thiruvananthapuram to Abu Dhabi.

The Kerala Governor R L Bhatia flagged off the maiden flight in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel at a colourful function at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

The Airline connects Kochi, Kozhikode, Delhi and Mumbai to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Salalah and Al Ain in the Gulf.

The basic fare from Trivandrum to Abu Dhabi is 3,250 rupees ($74) and from Mumbai to Dubai 2,750 rupees ($62).

The airline is launching services with a fleet of three 181-seater Boeing 737-800s.

"Our objective is to make travel affordable and spur growth," Air India spokesman Jayendra Bhargava told the Associated Press. "The earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper the fare."

Mr Bhargava said that unlike many low-cost airlines, Air India Express would provide free snacks, juice and water to its passengers.

AI Express has selected a contemporary design for its aircraft with the tail reflecting various Indian cultural motifs.

The tail on the first aircraft depicts the caparisoned elephant from Kerala on one side and a camel from the Pushkar mela of Rajasthan on the other.

The second aircraft has a kite and a colourful rangoli on either side of the aircraft tail while the third 737 has Indian music as a theme with the tail sporting a tabla on one side and a sitar on the other.

Uniforms for the cabin crew have been designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology.