Two New Airlines, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress, Set to Start Operations in India Soon: What We Know

India has provided first regulatory approval to two new airlines, Al Hind air and FlyExpress that is a new move to widen competition in the booming aviation sector of India.

Civil aviation ministry issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) to the two airlines this week, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced it in a post on X on Tuesday.

Also Read: Anil Kapoor Turns 69: Know His Strict Routine for Looking Dashing in His 60s, from No Drinking or Smoking to…

The approvals are against a background of massive flight disruptions that occurred earlier this month as IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights and triggered doubts about its market monopoly in the Indian aviation industry. IndiGo already controls approximately 65 per cent of the domestic Indian market with Air India Group with 27 per cent with a very small share to other operators, as per a Reuters report.

What we know on Al Hind Air and Flyexpress

Al Hind Air, an airline that is being promoted by the Alhind Group to operate in south India, is supposed to start its operations and subsequently the airline will operate ATR turboprop aircraft, the report stated. The airline continues to seek its Air Operator Certificate, which is one of the major regulatory requirements prior to the commencement of commercial services.

Al Hind, which is based in the Kochi hub, is actively cooperating with Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) to make sure that its operation base is seamlessly established, it says.

The second airline to be given an NOC is FlyExpress which has hinted that it will soon start its operations but the details of its fleet and routes are still not officially announced yet, the report read.

According to an ANI news agency report, civil aviation minister Naidu has already conducted meetings with the teams of Al Hind Air, FlyExpress and Shankh Air in the last 7 days yet another proposed carrier who already had their NOC approved.

The minister reported that the government is doing its best to bring new airlines to Indian skies and that the country has been dubbed as one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world thanks to the support of the policies and programs, including the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

Also Read: Cabinet Approves Delhi Metro Expansion; 13 New Stations to Come Up in 3 Years

Minister pointed out that under UDAN, smaller airline companies, including Star Air, Indiaone Air and Fly91, have increased connectivity in the region and there are more opportunities of new entrants in the industry, like Al Hind Air and FlyExpress, as the minister mentioned. The demand to have increased number of airlines has become urgent following the disruptions of IndiGo which was attributed to management of the crew and introduction of new flight duty time limitation norms.

In its report, ANI quoted Naidu as claiming that other airlines had adapted to the modified duty norms and the recent upheaval was a symptom of the problems inherent to the internal operation of IndiGo and not a systemic problem of regulatory issues.

There are nine domestic airlines scheduled to operate in India as at date but in recent years, the industry has experienced exits with carriers like Jet Airways and Go First shutting up operations in the financial crunch according to a PTI report.

The introduction of the Al Hind Air and FlyExpress who is likely to be closer to the launch in the coming year is being regarded as a step towards dissolve the concerns of the duopoly and enhance competition in the domestic aviation industry that is fast growing in India.

The aviation scene in India is going to be transformed with Al Hind Air and FlyExpress entering the market since there are regulatory clearances by the civil aviation ministry.

Also Read: ‘How Can They Be Unsafe?’ UP Minister Dismisses Unnao Rape Survivor’s Fears After Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s Bail