03 March 2023: The operations were flagged off by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation; in the presence of Shmt. Darshana Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Railways & Lok Sabha MP from Surat; Shri Balvantsinh Rajput, Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat; Shri Jagdish Bhai Vishwakarma, Minister of State for Civil Aviation; Shri C.R. Patil, Chairman, Airport Advisory Committee, Surat; Shri Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; Shri Asangba Chuba AO, Joint Secretary, MOCA; Shri Hareet Shukla, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat; Capt. Pushpinder Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Air India Express, Mr. Ankur Garg, Chief Commercial Officer, AirAsia India; and Ms. Tara Naidu, Chief of Commercial, Air India Express.

National, March 3, 2023: AirAsia India today commenced operations from Surat, Gujarat, making it the 19th airport in the airline’s domestic network. AirAsia India is now operating daily direct flights connecting Surat with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata. The flights will also connect Surat through convenient one-stop itineraries to other airports on its network, such as Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Ranchi, Srinagar, and Visakhapatnam. Members of the Tata NeuPass rewards program booking on the airline website and mobile app can earn NeuCoins with every booking, and get exclusive member rewards and benefits, while flights can also be booked on other major booking channels. The airline also offers special fares and benefits for Corporates, SMEs, families, defence personnel and dependants, doctors and nurses, senior citizens and students.

Speaking about the commencement of operations, Ankur Garg, Chief Commercial Officer, AirAsia India, said, “We are thrilled to commence operations in Surat, Gujarat. Surat is one of the fastest growing cities in India and holds tremendous potential for future growth. The region’s continued economic growth, combined with its impressive tourism potential, made Surat the ideal choice for AirAsia India’s next destination. With 21 weekly direct flights at convenient timings connecting Surat with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata, we are committed to delivering exceptional value and a comfortable flying experience for our guests.”

Flights on all routes commenced on March 3, 2023:

AirAsia India celebrated the launch of Surat as a destination with a unique culinary offering for guests on the inaugural flights. Guests were served a complimentary fusion dessert ‘Shrikhand Mousse’. AirAsia India takes pride in showcasing the culinary heritage of India through its ‘Regional Favourites’ section of its dining menu, ‘Gourmair’.

The specially curated Shrikhand Mousse artfully blends the traditional Gujarati recipe with the favourite French dessert, curated by chefs at TajSATS which caters to all its flights. The Gourmair menu served in flights across the country also features the unique Shôndesh Tiramisù, curated by MasterChef Kirti Bhoutika exclusively for AirAsia India flights as part of the airline’s MasterChef specials section. AirAsia India also offers comfortable all leather seats and priority services for guests.

The airline also offers a first-of-its-kind in-flight experience hub, ‘AirFlix’. AirFlix is available across the airline’s fleet and offers more than 6,000 hours of high-resolution content, enabling access to more than 1,000 international and Indian movies, short films, and 1500+ episodes of web series, allowing users to stream content lag-free and place in-flight orders on food and beverages and curated e-commerce brands.

About AIX Connect

AIX Connect Private Limited, formerly known as AirAsia India Private Limited, is a subsidiary of Air India Limited and a part of the Tata group. AIX Connect commenced operations as AirAsia India on 12th June 2014 and flies over 50 direct and 100 connecting routes across India. The airline offers plush leather seats, Gourmair hot meals, pioneering in-flight entertainment with AirFlix, and a host of exclusive loyalty benefits for members of the Tata NeuPass rewards program.

AIX Connect, operating as AirAsia India, has consistently embraced technology to deliver operational efficiency and enhance the guest experience, offering fast bookings, fab deals and fantastic value on its award-winning mobile apps and website airasia.co.in, and delivering seamless support with an advanced AI-powered multilingual chatbot Tia.