By commencing services from Nagpur and preparing for Navi Mumbai, Air India Express is strategically expanding its Maharashtra network.
Air India Express, India’s first international value airline, has inaugurated operations from Nagpur with the launch of twice-daily direct flights to Bengaluru, its largest domestic hub on Monday. The move strengthens the airline’s footprint in Maharashtra and enhances connectivity between tier‑2 cities and major urban centres.
The inaugural flight from Nagpur departed at 1000 hrs and landed in Bengaluru at 1205 hrs, while the first return flight from Bengaluru took off at 0725 hrs and arrived in Nagpur at 0930 hrs. A special ceremony was held at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport to mark the occasion, with commemorative boarding passes presented to the first guests.
Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express, said the commencement of Nagpur operations, alongside the upcoming launch from the new Navi Mumbai International Airport, marks a strategic expansion of the airline’s footprint across Maharashtra.
“These additions reinforce our focus on enhancing connectivity between non-metro cities and our major hubs, particularly Bengaluru, which continues to grow as our key domestic hub. This expanded network enables guests to enjoy seamless one-stop access across India, the Gulf, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.”
From Nagpur, Air India Express now offers one-stop connectivity to 29 domestic destinations and seven international destinations. Across Maharashtra, the airline operates over 130 weekly direct flights from Mumbai and over 90 weekly direct flights from Pune. It will also begin direct services from Navi Mumbai to Bengaluru and Delhi starting December 25, further expanding its regional reach.
In a parallel initiative, the airline has announced its role as official travel partner for the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, one of India’s most iconic cultural events. Running until December 10, the festival is being supported with a 15 per cent discount on flights to and from Dimapur, valid until 15 December using the promo code ‘HORNBILL’ on the airline’s website and mobile app.