Air India Regional

Air India Regional, operating under the IATA code CD, was the dedicated regional brand of Air India Limited, the former flag carrier of India. Originally established in 1996 as Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, the carrier was rebranded as Air India Regional in 2007 to better reflect its role as a feeder network for the parent company’s domestic and international operations. The airline was headquartered in New Delhi and its primary hub was Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), with additional focus operations at other major Indian airports to facilitate connectivity within the country’s vast and diverse aviation network. Ownership remained firmly under Air India Limited, which was itself state-owned through the Government of India until its privatisation in 2022. During the period of Air India Regional’s existence, the airline served as a vital link between smaller cities and the primary hub, enabling seamless connections for passengers travelling on Air India’s broader network.

The fleet of Air India Regional was composed exclusively of twin-engine turboprop aircraft, chosen for their efficiency on shorter runways and regional distance sectors. Initially, the carrier operated a mixed fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft, but by the 2010s it had standardised around the modern ATR 72-600 variant. These aircraft were configured in an all-economy layout, typically seating between 66 and 72 passengers. The airline also briefly operated Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets on certain high-demand sectors, but the core fleet remained predominantly turboprop. The selection of the ATR 72-600 was notable for its advanced avionics, fuel efficiency, and lower noise footprint, making it well-suited for operations into airports with shorter runways or noise restrictions. The airline did not operate any wide-body or long-haul aircraft, as its mandate was strictly to serve as a regional feeder. Maintenance and crew training were carried out under the oversight of Air India’s engineering and training departments, ensuring alignment with the parent carrier’s operational standards.

As a regional subsidiary, Air India Regional operated under a full-service model similar to its parent, offering complimentary snacks, beverages, and checked baggage allowances, differentiating it from the growing low-cost competition in the Indian market. It functioned as a traditional network carrier’s feeder, focusing on providing connectivity from smaller cities to the hub airports where passengers could transfer to Air India’s domestic and international flights. The airline was not a member of any airline alliance, as it operated under the brand and codeshare of its parent, which itself was a member of Star Alliance from 2014 until its departure in 2019. The regional brand’s schedule and capacity were closely integrated with Air India’s network planning, ensuring optimal connection times for transit passengers. Despite operating primarily domestically, the carrier occasionally performed special charters for government and corporate clients, but its core identity remained that of a scheduled regional carrier.

Notable milestones in the history of Air India Regional include the induction of India’s first ATR 72-600 aircraft in 2013, marking a modernisation of the regional fleet that improved reliability and passenger comfort. The airline also played a key role in the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) during its later years, connecting underserved airports across the country. However, its most significant turning point came in 2019 when Air India decided to rebrand the regional arm back to Alliance Air, effectively retiring the Air India Regional name. This change was part of a broader restructuring effort before the eventual privatisation of Air India. Under its original and revived name, Alliance Air continued operations as a separate entity, eventually being transferred to AI Asset Holding Limited when Air India was sold to the Tata Group in 2022. While Air India Regional no longer exists as a brand, its legacy as a key regional connector in India’s aviation landscape remains, particularly for the turboprop services that bridged the gap between large metropolitan hubs and smaller cities.