New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): Ahead of their eventual merger, Air India Express and AirAsia on Monday announced the commencement of interline bookings covering over 100 routes across the country.

Passengers on these airlines can now book a single itinerary across both airlines, including a single PNR on the common website, airindiaexpress.com and other OTAs (Online Travel Agents) and Travel Partners.

According to airline officials, with a combined fleet of 54 aircraft, both airlines connect 44 destinations and the total operating routes are over 250 across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia but interline will be available for over 100.

"The airlines have harmonised a range of ancillary add-on services and sub-brands, such as Gourmair in-flight dining, Xpress Prime seating, and Xpress Ahead priority services," said the officials.

"Our ongoing efforts towards integrating Air India Express and AirAsia India, even as we proceed with the full merger, is now bearing fruit, with a strong, integrated network emerging. The network footprint stretches across India, Gulf & the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and will be further strengthened with our forthcoming fleet expansion," said Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express and AirAsia India.

"The interline arrangement enables guests to seamlessly book and connect across sectors operated by the two airlines, as if it were already one network. This is just the beginning of the remarkable value proposition we aim to deliver, and we look forward to further enriching travel experiences,” said Singh.

Earlier this year, Air India Express and AirAsia India unveiled a unified website, airindiaexpress.com, enabling users to book, manage services and check-in to flights from both airlines across domestic and international routes with an integrated backend passenger service system.

AirAsia India flies over 50 direct and over 100 connecting routes across 19 destinations in India: Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, Imphal, Guwahati, Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow, Surat, Bagdogra, Ranchi, and Srinagar. Air India Express operates to 14 international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Sharjah, Singapore, Ras-Al-Khaimah, Riyadh, & Jeddah, from 18 Indian cities: Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Mumbai, Amritsar, Lucknow, Jaipur, Varanasi, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Madurai, Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Kannur, Surat, & Hyderabad.