Top Section
Explore Business Standard
Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
A Kolkata-bound AIX Connect (earlier known as AirAsia India) flight from Lucknow aborted take-off and returned to the bay on Sunday following a bird hit. The aircraft has been grounded for a detailed inspection, the airline said in a statement. There were 147 passengers onboard the aircraft. "Flight i5-319, scheduled to operate from Lucknow to Kolkata, encountered a bird strike during the take-off roll. As a result, the aircraft returned to the bay and was grounded for detailed inspection," AIX Connect said. The budget carrier said the impacted passengers were attended to, and it is making efforts to mitigate the impact on the integrity of other scheduled operations.
Air India Express and AirAsia India, which has changed its name to AIX Connect, are exploring synergies in terms of having unified customer touch points ahead of their proposed merger, according to an official. Both the low-cost airlines and full-service carriers -- Air India and Vistara -- are owned by Tata group. On November 2, Air India said an operational review process is underway to integrate budget carrier AirAsia India with Air India Express, and the merger is likely to be completed by the end of 2023. Post-merger, the entity will be branded as Air India Express. AirAsia India has changed its name to AIX Connect Pvt Ltd, according to data available with the corporate affairs ministry. The official said the name of the budget airline has been changed as part of the ongoing merger process. Both airlines are looking at synergies with respect to customer touch points, such as having a common website, social media handles and call centre. Other aspects, including common boardin
AirAsia India in partnership with cloud technology firm Sugarbox has started providing in-flight wi-fi service on all its aircraft, according to a joint statement. The service will enable travellers on AirAsia India flights to access over 1,000 international and Indian movies, short movies, web series episodes and stream buffer-free content from OTT apps from the system installed in the flight. "We are delighted to partner with AirAsia India to launch a multi-feature in-flight experience hub - 'AirFlix'. This service will be pivotal in enhancing the in-flight experience for passengers and generating ancillary revenue for the airline, by unlocking an in-air digital economy through commerce and Ads. 'AirFlix' is available across the AirAsia India fleet of 28 aircraft," Sugarbox co-founder Rohit Paranjpe said. He said AirFlix will be available to all fliers through a local in-flight wi-fi at no extra cost. According to the statement, the service has launched with storage capacity of 8