[3][7] The airline operates more than 2000 flights per week to 45 destinations across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

[8] It has operating bases in Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli.

Air India Express came into existence on 29 April 2005, with the launch of three flights that took off simultaneously from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

The airline was launched as a low-cost carrier with the objective of providing convenient connectivity to short-haul international routes in the Middle East and Southeast Asia for the Indian expatriate community.

[9] In December 2012, Air India ratified the proposal to move the headquarters to Kochi in January 2013 and to establish a new maintenance base at Thiruvananthapuram.

[10][11] Despite rising losses for its parent entity Air India, the airline continued to thrive in the following years with constant increase in revenue while managing to stay profitable.

AIX Connect started to transfer its aircraft and crew to Air India Express in preparation for the merger.

The airline later transferred its 737 MAX order to Air India Express with deliveries commencing from October 2023.

Of these aircraft, 29 offers business class seats which are planned to be eventually phased out as such configurations are not part of the airline's model.