Air India Express agent portal: how to register, upload documents, and understand domestic commissions in 2026
By Vihaan Patel (Vihaan Patel covers the intersection of travel and digital payments — Indian OTAs, airline-direct booking flows, UPI vs credit-card surcharges, RBI tokenisation rules and the booking-funnel mechanics that quietly cost (or save) you money.) · Published · 10 min read
Air India Express absorbed AirAsia India's routes in 2023–24, making it a much bigger domestic player than it used to be. If you're a travel agent who hasn't updated your AIX portal credentials since that merger, this walkthrough covers what registration looks like now and what to expect on commission structures.
TL;DR — the short answer
Air India Express has a dedicated agent booking portal at agcy.airindiaexpress.com. Registration requires a valid IATA/TAAI/TAFI accreditation number (or company PAN + GST for direct corporate agents), a PAN card, and GST registration. After the AIX–AirAsia India integration, the portal now covers a materially larger domestic network than before. Commission structures for travel agents on Air India Express, like most Indian LCCs, are primarily through consolidator agreements and BSP — the airline does not publicly publish an agent commission schedule, but agents booking via IATA BSP channels earn through the standard BSP mechanism plus any applicable PLB their consolidator has negotiated.
What happened when AirAsia India merged into Air India Express?
AirAsia India (which operated under the I5 IATA code) was a separate airline — a joint venture between the Tata Group and AirAsia — until it was merged into Air India Express (IX code) in late 2023. The combined entity now operates as Air India Express, with a larger fleet and a domestic route network that includes many routes previously served by AirAsia India, particularly in South India (Bangalore hub), the metros, and some Tier-2 city connections.
For agents, the practical impact:
- The I5 (AirAsia India) code is no longer active. If you had any I5-coded bookings in your GDS or portal history, they were migrated or expired.
- The combined Air India Express operates with IX code across all routes.
- Some routes that AirAsia India operated into smaller airports (Kochi, Vizag, Madurai connections) are now Air India Express routes — check the current network on airindiaexpress.com since route additions and suspensions happen routinely.
- If you were using the old AirAsia India agent booking link or had a direct AirAsia India agency agreement, you need to re-register on the AIX portal.
Step-by-step: registering on the Air India Express agent portal
The portal URL as of 2026 is agcy.airindiaexpress.com — verify this on the main airindiaexpress.com site (look for 'Travel Agents' in the footer) since portal URLs occasionally change with website redesigns.
Registration walkthrough:
- Go to the agent portal and click 'Register' or 'New Agent Registration'. You will be asked to select your agent category — typically IATA Accredited Agent, TAAI/TAFI Member, or Direct Corporate (non-IATA).
- Fill in your agency details: agency name as it appears on your IATA accreditation or GST certificate, IATA/TAAI number, registered office address, and primary contact.
- Upload documents: the standard requirements are: (a) IATA accreditation certificate or equivalent TAAI/TAFI membership certificate; (b) PAN card of the agency/firm; (c) GST registration certificate; (d) cancelled cheque for bank account verification (for refund processing). For sole proprietors operating without a firm GST, some agents have registered using personal PAN + a declaration — confirm the current requirement with AIX's trade support line since document requirements have changed as the portal has been updated.
- Set a login password and security question.
- Wait for verification: AIX typically takes 2–5 working days to verify and activate a new agent account. You will get an activation email — check spam if it doesn't arrive.
- Fund your wallet: like most LCC agent portals, AIX requires a prepaid wallet top-up before you can issue tickets. NEFT/RTGS top-ups are typically credited within one working day; UPI is often instant but the minimum may differ. Verify current top-up minimums on the portal.
Once active, the portal lets you search and book Air India Express flights at net-agent fares. The interface is functional — not particularly flashy — but the core search and booking flow is straightforward.
What does the commission structure look like on Air India Express?
Let me be direct here: Air India Express, like IndiGo and Akasa, is a low-cost carrier, and LCCs in India have largely moved away from the traditional commission model (where the airline pays the agent a percentage of the base fare). The way most agents actually earn on Air India Express bookings is through one or more of these mechanisms:
- Consolidator net-vs-published spread: if you're booking AIX through TBO, Tripjack, or Riya Connect, the consolidator has a net fare agreement with the airline. Your margin is the difference between the net fare the consolidator charges you and what you charge the client. The consolidator earns from the PLB (Performance Linked Bonus) the airline pays them, and some of that is passed through to agents as a better net rate.
- Direct portal markup: the AIX agent portal shows you agent-net fares which are often (not always) marginally lower than the B2C fare shown on the consumer website. You can mark up and charge the client accordingly.
- Ancillaries: Air India Express pays agents on some ancillary products (seat selection, baggage add-ons, meal upgrades) when booked through the agent portal. Specific commission rates on ancillaries are in your agent portal's terms — read them, because this is often where the real margin opportunity is on LCC bookings.
For anything requiring a precise commission figure — specific percentage, PLB tiers — check your actual agent agreement on the portal or ask the AIX trade support team. Commission structures change quarterly and any number written in an article will be wrong sooner or later.
GST implications for agents booking Air India Express
Air India Express fares (like all domestic air fares) attract GST: 5% on economy base fares, 12% on business class base fares. As a registered GST agent issuing AIX tickets to clients, the ticket GST flows through and is not your liability — the airline remits it. However, your service fee (the markup or booking fee you charge the client over and above the fare) is subject to GST at 18% as a service. Make sure your invoice to the client separates the fare (which carries the airline's GST) from your service charge (which carries your own GST at 18%).
Keep your GST registration current — the AIX portal requires a valid GSTIN at registration and may flag your account if your GST is lapsed or cancelled. If your GST registration details change (new address, addition of a business), update the portal. An outdated GSTIN on your portal account can cause issues with GST input credit claims later.
Comparing Air India Express agent rates vs booking through a consolidator
This is the question every AIX agent eventually asks: is it better to book directly through the AIX agent portal or through a consolidator (TBO/Tripjack/Riya)?
The honest answer is: it depends on the route and timing, and you should check both before issuing. Direct AIX portal fares are agent-net and often competitive, but large-volume consolidators sometimes have negotiated net fares that beat the portal rate on high-frequency routes. On less-trafficked routes, the portal rate is often the same or better.
Practically: for a high-frequency metro route (Bangalore–Mumbai, Delhi–Chennai), run a quick check on both your consolidator and the AIX portal before issuing. For off-beat routes or small-city flights where AIX may be the only carrier, the portal rate is usually fine. The 60-second check habit saves agents real money over time.
For a unified search that shows you multiple sources simultaneously, the FlightGPT Partner portal can help compare rates across channels without switching tabs — useful when you're doing volume.
Also see our comparison of Riya Connect vs TBO vs Tripjack and our guide on Akasa Air's agent portal.
Bottom line
Air India Express is now a materially larger domestic player than it was in the pre-AirAsia India era, and its agent portal is worth registering on if you have any meaningful South India or smaller-city volume. Registration is a one-time process — document upload, wallet funding, activation — and takes under a week. The commission model is LCC-standard (net fare spread + ancillary commissions) rather than the old published-fare commission of full-service airlines. Know your margin sources, keep your wallet funded, and check the direct portal rate alongside your consolidator before every issuance on routes where AIX is competitive. For broader domestic fare comparisons before deciding which airline or consolidator to use, FlightGPT's flight search can surface multi-source options quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Is an IATA number required to register on the Air India Express agent portal?
IATA accreditation is the primary route to registration. TAAI and TAFI membership certificates are also accepted as an alternative accreditation basis. Some non-IATA corporate accounts have been registered under a direct corporate category — verify the current eligibility criteria on agcy.airindiaexpress.com or by calling AIX's trade support line, as requirements have changed with portal updates.
Are Air India Express agent fares better than booking on the consumer website?
Agent-net fares on the AIX portal are generally (not always) marginally lower than B2C fares on the consumer website — the difference is your margin. On very close-in bookings or near-sold-out flights, the fare difference can narrow or disappear. Always check both before deciding where to issue.
What happened to my AirAsia India (I5) agent credentials?
AirAsia India's agent portal no longer exists — the airline merged into Air India Express in 2023. You need to register fresh on the AIX agent portal at agcy.airindiaexpress.com. Your old I5 credentials do not carry over.
How long does wallet credit take on the Air India Express agent portal?
NEFT and RTGS transfers typically credit within 1 working day. UPI payments, where supported, are generally faster. As with any airline's agent wallet, top-up during business hours on weekdays processes faster than weekend or holiday top-ups. Keep a buffer in your wallet — running out mid-booking on a high-demand route can mean losing the fare while you wait for top-up processing.
Does Air India Express have a separate agent commission for ancillaries like baggage and seats?
Yes, the AIX agent portal includes ancillary products, and some carry agent commission or a net-rate differential. The specific rates are in your portal's agent terms and fare information section. Seat selection and pre-paid baggage add-ons are the most common ancillaries worth paying attention to — the commission or spread can meaningfully supplement the base-fare margin on LCC tickets.
Can I book Air India Express tickets through my GDS (Amadeus/Sabre) instead of the portal?
Air India Express does have GDS presence via its parent Air India's distribution agreements, but availability and fare depth on GDS may differ from what the direct agent portal shows. Many agents find the direct portal more reliable for AIX-specific inventory and pricing. Check both if you want to compare — for agents doing high GDS volume, a combined GDS + direct portal workflow is common.