First Air India Express flight takes off from Ayodhya for Delhi as Ayodhya International Airport is Inaugurated

Air India Express was part of a significant day – the inauguration of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi – when it launched operations from Ayodhya to Delhi on December 30, 2023. The airline’s inaugural flight from Ayodhya to Delhi, IX 1769, took off at 17:23 hours. Ayodhya is the 45th destination on the Air India Express network and the airline’s 3rd station in Uttar Pradesh, after Lucknow and Varanasi. 

This milestone moment was marked by Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express, presenting the first boarding pass of the flight to the guests at the Ayodhya airport. 

Speaking on the occasion, he said: “We are proud to connect Ayodhya directly to three metropolitan cities – Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata – at the very onset of operations from the airport. Given that these cities are major hubs on our network, they will provide pilgrims and tourists from Northern, Southern and Eastern parts of India with convenient one-stop itineraries to reach Ayodhya.” 

Air India Express services from Ayodhya to Delhi will be available daily and tri-weekly to Bengaluru and Kolkata. Bookings can be made through the award-winning app and website airindiaexpress.com, as well as other major booking platforms. 

Air India Express operates both international and domestic services from the state of Uttar Pradesh. With a weekly schedule of 21 flights, the airline connects the sacred city of Varanasi to Bengaluru and Sharjah. Air India Express offers 60 weekly flights from Lucknow, connecting the capital city to Dubai and prominent Indian cities Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune. 

Recently, the airline also launched the Vista VIP, its business class-like product, in a bid to enhance customer experience. The offering includes wider seats and increased legroom, Gourmair hot meals, additional baggage allowance, and Xpress ahead priority boarding services. More recently, Air India Express also became the very first airline to operate a direct flight from Surat to Dubai on the day when the Surat International Airport had its new international terminal inaugurated.