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Air India (AI) Guide

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In short

Air India is India's flag carrier, headquartered in Gurugram and owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. From Delhi's Indira Gandhi International, Mumbai and Bengaluru it reaches 87 destinations in India, Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Air India is in Star Alliance and runs Maharaja Club. Depending on the jet, you can book First, Business, Premium Economy or Economy.

Air India is the flag carrier of India, founded in 1932 as Tata Airlines. Owned by the Tata Group (74.9%) and Singapore Airlines (25.1%), it is headquartered in Gurugram and flies from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai to destinations in India and on five continents.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Air India. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Air India (IATA: AI, ICAO: AIC) is the flag carrier of India, owned by the Tata Group and headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana. From its main hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, plus Mumbai and Bengaluru, it flies to 87 destinations (42 in India and 45 abroad), and suits travellers flying non-stop between India and Europe, North America, the Gulf, Asia and Australia.

Tata Airlines to Air India and back

JRD Tata founded the airline as Tata Airlines on 15 October 1932. It began operating as Air India on 29 July 1946, and the Government of India bought a majority stake in 1953. After decades of state ownership, the airline was handed back to the Tata Group on 27 January 2022. Vistara, the full-service joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines, merged into Air India on 12 November 2024, and Singapore Airlines now owns about 25% of the combined airline.

Air India Express

Air India Express is the group's low-cost airline. It absorbed AIX Connect in October 2024. If your ticket shows an IX flight number, the service and bag rules are those of Air India Express.

Hubs and market position

Delhi is the primary hub and handles most long-haul flights. Mumbai and Bengaluru are secondary hubs with their own international departures. Air India is India's second-largest airline by passengers, behind IndiGo.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
Air India official website

See the source
  1. Air India official website
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Good to know

  • Founded1932
  • Other gatewaysBOM / BLR

Everything you should know

Airline codes

AI · AIC

IATA · ICAO · callsign “AIRINDIA”

Air India’s IATA code is AI, its ICAO code is AIC, and the radio callsign is AIRINDIA. Type AI and your flight number into a status search to follow an Air India flight.

Key facts

Main hub

Delhi (DEL)

Indira Gandhi International

Also flies abroad fromMumbai (BOM) · Bengaluru (BLR)

Network

87 destinations

India · Europe · North America · Asia · Middle East · Australia

Air India flies to 42 domestic and 45 international destinations. Its main hub is Delhi, with secondary hubs in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Destinations

Cabin classes

First

and Business, Premium Economy, Economy

Wide-bodies offer up to First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy; domestic flights have Business and Economy. Long-haul aircraft carry business class and economy, with first class on Boeing 777-300ERs and premium economy on the A350-900 and other upgraded aircraft. Domestic Airbus flights have business and economy seating.

Compare cabins

Good to know

Air India’s low-cost sister airline is Air India Express. Its loyalty programme is Maharaja Club, and its official website is airindia.com.

Frequent flyer

Maharaja Club

Member of Star Alliance

As a Star Alliance member, Air India lets you credit flights to another Star Alliance programme or to Maharaja Club.

How it works

Start a new search

Before you book Air India, run the same dates through bookingMentor: rival airlines on routes from DEL appear in one set of results.

Safe travels on Air India.

Select dates

At a glance

Air India (IATA: AI, ICAO: AIC) is the flag carrier of India, headquartered in Gurugram and owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. A Star Alliance member, it flies Airbus A320-family, A350 and Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to 87 destinations in India and abroad.

Key facts about Air India
HeadquartersGurugram, Haryana, India
Fleet typesAirbus A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350-900, Boeing 777-300ER and 787
Frequent flyerMaharaja Club
Official websiteairindia.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
Air India serves the places below according to its published network. Routes are added, paused and rescheduled, so confirm the current Air India timetable when you search. Search flights

India

Delhi (DEL) departures11 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

The fleet numbered 189 aircraft in November 2025, including Airbus A320-family jets for domestic and regional flights and Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s and Boeing 787s on long-haul. In February 2023 Air India ordered 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing in one deal valued at about US$70 billion. Cabins differ between older and newer aircraft, so check which aircraft flies your date.

  • Airbus A319 Narrow-body The bulk of domestic flying and short regional hops
  • Airbus A320 Narrow-body The bulk of domestic flying and short regional hops
  • Airbus A320neo Narrow-body The bulk of domestic flying and short regional hops
  • Airbus A321 Narrow-body Higher-capacity domestic and regional services
  • Airbus A321neo Narrow-body Higher-capacity domestic and regional services
  • Airbus A350-900 Wide-body · 6 in service Long-haul flights with a Premium Economy cabin
  • Boeing 777-300ER Wide-body · 18 in service Long-haul flights, and the only type with First Class
  • Boeing 787-8 Wide-body Long-haul and regional routes
  • Boeing 787-9 Wide-body Long-haul and regional routes

Cabin classes

Air India sells four cabins, First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class. The aircraft and route decide which Air India cabins you can book.

First Class Boeing 777-300ER

Top international cabin

Offered on Air India’s Boeing 777-300ERs.

Lie-flat bedLounge access

Business Class Most flights

Business class

Business class across the fleet; lie-flat on long-haul wide-bodies.

Lie-flat on long-haulLounge access

Premium Economy A350 and selected aircraft

More space than economy

A separate cabin on the A350-900 and other upgraded aircraft.

Wider seatMore legroom

Economy Class All flights

Standard seat

Economy on every flight.

MealsSeat-back entertainment on wide-bodies

Maharaja Club

Air India’s loyalty programme. Join Maharaja Club online before you fly so the trip counts.

Maharaja Club members earn points on Air India flights and with Star Alliance partners, and use them for award tickets and upgrades.

Air India joined Star Alliance on 11 July 2014. Its loyalty programme, Maharaja Club, was created by combining Air India's Flying Returns with Club Vistara. Members earn points on Air India and Star Alliance flights and spend them on award tickets and upgrades.

Baggage allowance

Air India does not give every passenger the same allowance: the route, the cabin and the fare you buy each change it. Your AI e-ticket shows what you have.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Set by your fare
Extra bags
Add online before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Air India sets the allowance by cabin, fare family and route. Air India Express flights (IX numbers) follow their own low-cost rules. Your e-ticket shows the figure.

Pro tip: if your trip mixes Air India and Air India Express flights, check the allowance on each flight number before you pack.
Travel day

Online Check-in

The four steps below take you from your Air India booking to the gate, whether you depart from DEL or another airport on its network.

  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Where your flight allows it, check in on airindia.com with your surname and booking reference or e-ticket number.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    International Air India passengers need a passport and whatever visa, residence permit or entry documents the destination requires. Domestic AI passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Air India closes its check-in counters before departure, and passengers who miss the cut-off can be refused boarding. Leave room for bag drop and security at DEL.

    Check your deadline
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    At the airport, take your bags to the Air India bag-drop point. Collect a printed AI boarding pass there if you have not saved one to your phone.

    Air India counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Air India website.
Check in with Air India
Save money

Cheap tickets

A few booking habits that tend to cut the cost of flying Air India.

  1. 01

    Try midweek AI flights

    If your dates can move, look at AI flights across the whole week. Midweek seats are often cheaper than weekend ones.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak holiday dates

    Fares rise around Diwali, Christmas and the summer school holidays, when many people visit family in India. Book early for those dates.

    School holidays · festivals
  3. 03

    Compare Air India fare types

    Look at the next Air India fare up: if it bundles a hold bag or easier changes, it may beat the basic fare plus extras.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Compare with Air India Express

    On domestic and Gulf routes, compare Air India with its low-cost sister airline Air India Express and add up bags and meals before choosing.

    Low-cost sister airline
  5. 05

    Join Maharaja Club

    Join Maharaja Club before your first Air India flight so the trip earns points from day one.

    Before you fly

  6. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Air India alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Air India flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Air India.
We checked these Air India answers with the airline’s own pages and public airline records on 10 October 2026.

General

Air India joined Star Alliance on 11 July 2014. Maharaja Club members can earn and redeem points with Star Alliance partners, and members of other Star Alliance programmes can usually earn miles on Air India flights.