Air India Express clears key safety audit, set for global tie-ups

New Delhi: Low-fare international carrier Air India Express on Monday said it has cleared a key global safety audit that will help it strike commercial agreements with international airlines.

The International Air Transport Association’s operational safety audit (IOSA) certification is valid for two years. IOSA standards are specified for systems, policies, processes and equipment, among others. International airlines mandate IOSA certification for any collaboration.

Air India Express chief executive officer (CEO) K. Shyam Sundar said in a statement that the recognition was testimony to the airline’s “hard work to conform to internationally accepted standards”.

K. Shyam Sundar, chief executive of Air India Express. Photo: Bloomberg.

Air India Express, a subsidiary of international airline Air India, suffered a serious accident in 2010 when its flight IX-812 overshot the runway and fell off a hillside in Mangalore, killing 152 people on board. The airline was pulled up for not having proper safety structures and depending on officers from Air India.

In a June interview, CEO Sundar had said the airline was preparing for the IOSA certification. The airline installed proper structures in operations, flight safety, training and human resources.

The airline no longer has “pencil rostering”, Sundar had said, where the schedules of pilots and the crew used to be written with a pencil—a process that was hence open to manipulation as was found after the Mangalore crash.

“Though the airline follows the market principles of a low-cost carrier, we spare no effort in ensuring passenger comfort and quality of service while delivering affordable air travel to our esteemed customers. Another USP of Air India Express is that it is the only LCC (low-cost carrier) that offers complimentary snacks, tea/coffee on board,” Sundar said referring to the practice of charging for meals by low cost airlines.

Based in Kochi, Kerala, Air India Express operates about 550 flights per week, connecting 15 Indian cities and 14 international destinations in West Asia and Southeast Asia with 23 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft.

Air India