If you are an ardent flyer that stays in India or planning to fly into India, you may be prompted to ask which is the best airline in India today. To answer that, Skytrax has ranked Vistara as the best airline to fly to and from India.
There are other airlines that were ranked alongside this airline which include IndiGo airlines, SpiceJet, and others airlines, read on to know more about each of the best airlines to fly both domestically and internationally flight within India today.
12 Best Airlines in India [South Asia] In 2023
1. Vistara Airline
Vistara is a partnership between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, and it is the newest player in the Indian domestic market. Because of its low fares and high standard of service, Vistara is swiftly gaining in popularity. The airline’s name, “Vistara,” is meant to convey its aspiration to grow to become “the Best Airline in India to the people.”
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2. IndiGo Airline
Coming second on the list of best airlines in India is IndiGo airline. In June of this year, Indigo held a 42 percent market share in the Indian airline industry. For this reason, it is able to carry more passengers annually than any other Indian airline. When it comes to the greatest airlines in India, Indigo is at the top of the list, too.
Customers who travel frequently select Indigo because it consistently offers the lowest tickets and best bargains, no matter the time of year.
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3. SpiceJet Airline
Here on the 3rd spot of best India Airlines is SpiceJet airline. SpiceJet, with headquarters in Gurgaon, is a well-liked budget airline in the country of India. It is the fourth busiest airport in the country annually in terms of domestic passengers.
SpiceJet has 312 daily flights to 55 different domestic and international locations. For the airline’s top-tier offerings, look to the SpiceMax brand. Free meals, early boarding, additional legroom, and other luxuries are all part of these upgraded services.
4. SriLankan Airlines
Once known as Air Lanka, Sri Lankan Airlines is currently Sri Lanka’s national airline and a partner of the Oneworld airline alliance. It began operations in 1979 as Air Lanka after the demise of the country’s previous flag carrier, Air Ceylon, and has since grown to become Sri Lanka’s largest airline in terms of both fleet size and number of destinations.
Having been partially acquired by Emirates in 1998, the company’s rebranding and present livery were introduced at that time. The Sri Lankan government bought out Emirates’ shareholding in the airline in 2008.
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Despite losing its association with Emirates, the company kept its rebranded name and logo. In a typical week, Sri Lankan Airlines runs more than 560 flights all throughout Asia.
From its primary hub at Bandaranaike International Airport in the vicinity of Colombo, the airline flies to 113 destinations in 51 countries (including codeshare operations). With effect from May 1, 2014, Sri Lankan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance.
5. Air India Airline
The rise of low-cost carriers in India’s domestic and international commercial aviation sector prompted Air India to launch Air India Express as a direct response. This subsidiary, with its headquarters in Kerala’s Kochi, officially opened for business in April 2005.
Southern India (with the exception of Karnataka) and northern India (including Maharashtra and New Delhi) are served by Air India Express. Its primary goal is to facilitate travel between India’s Tier 2 cities and those in the Gulf and Southeast Asian countries.
6. Go First Airline
Established in November of 2005, GoAir (Now Go First) is a subsidiary of the Wadia Group. Since then, it has increased its annual passenger volume to the point where it carries 8.4% of the market.
While Go First is primarily a low-cost airline, the GO CLUB “frequent flyer” program provides members with perks including airport lounge access and complimentary upgrades to “Go Business” (business class).
7. Pakistan Int’l Airlines
The Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation oversees Pakistan International Airlines, the international airline that flies the Pakistani flag.
Its primary base is Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, with additional hubs at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and Islamabad International Airport.
Originally called Orient Airways, PIA took off on October 29, 1946, from its base in Calcutta, British India, but relocated to the newly formed state of Pakistan the following year. The Pakistan International Airlines Corporation was established after the government nationalized Orient Airways.
In 1955, the new airline began flying over the ocean to London from Cairo and Rome. With the introduction of the Boeing 707 into commercial operation on 7 March 1960, PIA made history as the first Asian airline to operate jet aircraft, and in 1964, it made history as the first non-Communist airline to fly to China.
The airline was pivotal in the formation of Emirates Airline in 1985. PIA was the first airline to buy the Boeing 777-200LR when it was released in 2004.
On November 10, 2005, PIA flew the Boeing 777-200LR on the longest commercial airline nonstop flight in history. The time spent in the air on this flight from Hong Kong to London was 22 hours and 22 minutes.
PIA is the largest airline in Pakistan, with a total of 29 planes in service. Nearly one hundred flights take off and land each day on the airline’s schedule, connecting passengers to 25 cities in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
PIA operates commercial flights, but it also owns the Parisian hotel Sofitel Paris Scribe and it used to own the New York City hotel The Roosevelt. The company has several interline and codeshare agreements, as well as a frequent flyer program called PIA Awards +. However, it is not affiliated with any other airlines.
On 30 June 2020, PIA was banned from flying in European airspace initially for six months, starting on 1 July 2020, and then indefinitely after EASA determined that the airline was not capable of certifying and overseeing its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards.
This decision was made soon after it was revealed that at least a third of all pilot licenses issued in Pakistan were not genuine. By 9 July 2020, the airline was also banned by the United Kingdom and the United States.
8. Airblue Airline
Private Pakistani airline Airblue Limited has its headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan, on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers. Scheduled domestic and international flights to and from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are offered by Airblue.
9. Air India Express Airline
Air India is one of the most popular airlines in India and is used by many people for both domestic and international flights, despite the company’s recent difficulties. It has some of the lowest tickets and the largest luggage allowance (25 kilograms for economy class) of any airline.
Air India is one of the Best Airlines in India because the company has a deep-seated commitment to providing the highest level of hospitality (a belief personified by its mascot, The Maharajah).
10. Biman Bangladesh Airlines
In Bangladesh, the national flag carrier is Biman Bangladesh Airlines or Biman for short. The airline’s primary hub is Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, but it also has hubs at Chittagong’s Shah Amanat International Airport and Sylhet’s Osmani International Airport.
The company has air service agreements in 42 countries, allowing it to fly passengers and freight to a wide variety of worldwide locations. Balaka Bhaban, the airline’s headquarters, can be found in the northern Dhaka neighborhood of Kurmitola.
The airline’s annual Hajj flights, as well as the transportation of tourists, migrants, and non-resident Bangladeshi workers, and the operations of its subsidiaries, are crucial to the airline’s core business.
Bangladesh’s air transport business is highly competitive, with several commercial Bangladeshi airlines competing with the state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines to attract the country’s growing number of international and internal tourists and non-resident Bangladeshi visitors.
11. Air Asia Airline
Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has launched service in India through its wholly-owned subsidiary, AirAsia India. AirAsia became the first overseas airline subsidiary in India.
Its principal hub is at Kempegowda International Airport, which is located not far from Bengaluru. When it comes to customer service, AirAsia India is second to none, and they do so at ridiculously affordable costs. AirAsia has been recognized as the finest low-cost airline in the world for ten consecutive years.
12. The Alliance Air
Alliance Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, is one of the most well-known regional airlines in India. Its primary goal is to link communities served by smaller airports and by lower demand for air travel. Smaller passengers can make use of this airline’s service since the company operates a fleet of aircraft that connect secondary cities with major transportation hubs.
Scheduled Airlines In India
Airline | IATA | ICAO | Commenced | Headquarters | Type |
Air India | AI | AIC | 1946 | Delhi | Full Service |
AirAsia India | I5 | IAD | 2014 | Bengaluru | Low Cost |
Air India Express | IX | AXB | 2005 | Kochi | Low Cost |
Go First | G8 | GOW | 2005 | Mumbai | Low Cost |
IndiGo | 6E | IGO | 2006 | Gurgaon | Low Cost |
SpiceJet | SG | SEJ | 2005 | Gurgaon | Low Cost |
Vistara | UK | VTI | 2015 | Gurgaon | Full Service |
Regional Airlines in India
Airline | IATA | ICAO | Commenced | Headquarters | Type |
Alliance Air | 9I | AIC | 1996 | Delhi | Regional |
Air Heritage | 4H | 2019 | Dehradun | Regional | |
Star Air | OG | SDG | 2019 | Bengaluru | Regional |
TruJet | 2T | TRJ | 2015 | Hyderabad | Regional |
FlyBig | S9 | 2021 | Gurugram | Regional |
Which Is The No 1 Airline In India?
The number one airline in India is Indigo Airlines. Indigo is now recognized as the best-performing airline in India with the biggest share of domestic flights. Low fares make it a favorite among frequent fliers, and as a result, it has the largest fleet size of any Indian airline.
Which Airline Has the Best Service In India?
The best airline with good service in India is Indigo Airlines. Indigo is the leading domestic carrier in India. Due to its status as a low-cost carrier, it has tremendous popularity among frequent fliers and controls the largest fleet size of any airline in India.
Which Is The Safest Airline In India?
According to the Safe Travel Barometer, IndiGo is the safest airline in India, with a rating of 4.2 out of 5. Safe Travel Barometer, the largest database for COVID-19 traveler health and safety measures, has announced the Safe Travel Score for airlines throughout the world.
Which Airline Is Cheapest In India?
The cheapest or low-cost airline in India is Air India Express.
Which Is The Fastest Flight In India?
The Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi SU-30 MKI is India’s fastest-production fighter jet.
What Is The Longest Flight In India?
The 2,482 km flight time between Delhi and Port Blair is the longest domestic trip in India, and it is serviced by a nonstop route offered by the airline.
Inevitably, air travel has surpassed all others in popularity, which bodes well for the airline business.
Conclusion
The number of people flying in India, for both pleasure and business, has increased dramatically, making the country a promising market for airlines. As air travel becomes increasingly popular, more and more carriers enter the market, all vying for passengers by offering ever-better service, connections, punctuality, prices, and onboard amenities.