Air India Express runs empty ferry flights to Bengaluru from Nagpur, Hyderabad

Air India Express ran two special "ferry flights" to Bengaluru from Nagpur and Hyderabad on Tuesday, September 15, to meet operational requirements linked to the Nagpur aviation sector.

According to the official schedule issued by the airline, these flights were meant to shift empty aircraft from one city to another. Between the 1st and 30th of this month, several Air India Express flights were repeatedly cancelled, and the schedule also saw one or two sudden drops in between, causing considerable trouble for passengers.

Amid this disruption, the airline had to operate these empty flights to balance its aircraft rotation and network. Such ferry flights are usually not ticketed for passengers and are used only for maintenance or rotation-related needs. However, this time these ferry flights departed carrying passengers.

As per the schedule, the Hyderabad-Bengaluru flight (IX5709) took off from Hyderabad at 8 pm on Tuesday and reached Bengaluru at 9 pm. An A320neo aircraft was used for this flight. The Nagpur-Bengaluru flight (IX5708) departed Nagpur Airport at 8 pm on Tuesday and reached Bengaluru at 9.45 pm. An A320 aircraft was used on this route.

The same afternoon, a special air ambulance (VH-ULJ) landed at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. According to sources, this aircraft reached Nagpur around 3.20 pm carrying a patient. After receiving the necessary medical and marshalling support at the airport and completing all procedures, the flight departed for its destination around 5 pm. Sources said the aircraft had possibly come from Australia.

Separately, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted Kuwait Airways permission to land a Boeing 777 aircraft at Nagpur Airport. The aircraft will go to the airport's MRO facility for maintenance. According to information received, the flight (KAC 8249) will fly from Kuwait and reach Nagpur on September 15, with 8 crew members on board. The aircraft's maintenance visit to Nagpur is reportedly the final round under an existing agreement.