Air India Express Increases Baggage Allowance for Middle East and Singapore Flights

Air India Express announced on 21 January 2025 that it has raised the free checked baggage allowance on its international flights between India and the Middle East, and between India and Singapore, from 20 kg to 30 kg per passenger. Families travelling with an infant receive an additional 10 kg of checked baggage at no charge.

The cabin allowance is unchanged at 7 kg, which can be split across up to two pieces. With the new rules, an adult travelling with an infant can carry up to 47 kg in total including cabin baggage.

Which flights are covered

The higher allowance applies to Air India Express services linking India with the Gulf and wider Middle East and with Singapore. At the time of the announcement the airline said it operated around 450 weekly flights between India and the Middle East and 26 weekly flights to Singapore.

The 30 kg allowance applies to fares that include checked baggage. Air India Express also sells Xpress Lite fares that carry cabin baggage only and are aimed at passengers who want the lowest price, as well as an Xpress Biz product with a higher allowance. Passengers on any fare can buy extra checked baggage in advance, which is usually cheaper than paying at the airport.

About the airline

Air India Express was set up in 2005 as the low-cost international arm of Air India, with a network concentrated on routes between southern and western India and the Gulf states. It became part of the Tata group when Tata bought Air India in January 2022, and on 1 October 2024 it completed its merger with AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, creating a single low-cost carrier for the group.

When it announced the baggage change, Air India Express said it operated a fleet of 90 aircraft, a mix of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320 family jets inherited from AIX Connect, and ran more than 400 daily flights to 36 domestic and 15 international destinations.

Why baggage matters on these routes

India–Gulf routes carry very large numbers of Indian workers who live in the Gulf states and travel home with gifts, household goods and supplies. For these passengers the checked allowance is often as important as the fare, and many compare allowances closely across airlines before booking. A low allowance pushes them to pay excess baggage charges or choose another carrier.

The market is heavily contested. Air India Express competes with IndiGo, Air India and the Gulf carriers, including low-cost operators such as Air Arabia and flydubai as well as full-service airlines. Raising the allowance to 30 kg brings Air India Express in line with what many Gulf travellers expect and is a straightforward way to win back price-sensitive customers without cutting fares.

For the airline, the trade-off is weight. Heavier bags mean more fuel burn and, on some sectors, fewer seats or less cargo can be carried. Its decision suggests it judged the commercial benefit worth that cost on these routes.

What has happened since

The 30 kg allowance has remained in place. In 2026 Air India Express's baggage rules for India–Gulf routes continued to include 30 kg of checked baggage, carried across up to two pieces, on its Value and Flex fares, with 40 kg for Xpress Biz passengers on international Gulf routes. In January 2026 the airline added a limited-period offer allowing passengers flying from Gulf countries to India to pre-book an extra 5 kg or 10 kg at a discount for travel between 16 January and 10 March 2026.

The airline has also kept expanding its Gulf network. In July and August 2026 it opened new routes to Abu Dhabi from Navi Mumbai, Indore, Lucknow and Guwahati, and from Guwahati to Dubai, and its fleet passed 100 aircraft.