Tata-owned Air India has entered into a codeshare agreement with its wholly-owned subsidiary AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India.
A codeshare agreement allows one airline to sell seats on a flight operated by another airline, with each airline using their own flight number.
"The codeshare implementation enables Air India guests to connect seamlessly on AIX Connect's route network to and from over 80 points across Air India's extensive domestic and international network," the company said in a statement.
Air India will add its 'AI' designator code to more than 100 flights a day operated by the domestic operator AIX Connect on 21 routes.
Bookings for the codeshare flights will start on Sept. 27.
After this agreement, passengers will be able to receive their boarding passes at the first point of departure for all the travel sectors on a single ticket, along with the benefit of getting their baggage checked in to the final destination.
As a result, Air India's passengers will get access to four new destinations on its network in India, namely Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, and Surat, while AIX Connect's passengers will get access to the former's international network.
The commercial arrangement comes under the second phase of Air India's five-year transformation plan.
The Tata Group aims to consolidate all its airlines, with AIX Connect and Air India Express forming a low-cost carrier, while Air India and Vistara will merge to form a full-service carrier.
A few days ago, international carriers Air India Express and AIX Connect began interline bookings, enabling customers to travel seamlessly on their entire international and domestic networks.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
