The carrier’s generative AI tool resolves over 75% of passenger queries independently as Tata-owned budget airline expands digital self-service operations.
KOCHI — Air India Express has secured the “Best Use of AI in Customer Experience” honour at the 25th edition of the UBS Forums summit, recognizing the airline’s flagship virtual assistant, Tia.
Air India Express has been awarded the “Best Use of AI in Customer Experience” prize at the 25th UBS Forums summit for its virtual assistant, Tia, an artificial intelligence platform handling customer support across multiple digital touchpoints.
The award underlines the low-cost carrier’s push to automate customer support across its network. Introduced in 2021 as one of the earliest conversational chatbot tools deployed by an Indian budget airline, Tia serves as the primary digital interface for passengers seeking itinerary assistance, schedule adjustments, and general travel inquiries.
According to operational metrics released by the carrier, Tia handles approximately 15,000 customer inquiries daily. More than 75% of these queries are addressed and resolved without human intervention, reducing passenger wait times across online and voice channels.
The virtual assistant is accessible 24/7 across the carrier’s mobile application, official website, WhatsApp channel, and customer care contact centers. It provides autonomous self-service tools for more than 100 common passenger requests, including flight bookings, itinerary cancellations, refund status checks, flight updates, baggage tracking, and travel documentation advisories.
The AI system served as a critical operational buffer during West Asian airspace disruptions earlier this year in April, when weather and regional flight diversions triggered an influx of customer inquiries. During that period, Tia managed nearly four-fifths of incoming passenger queries, processing voluntary rescheduling, alternate flight bookings, and ticket cancellations based on seat availability.
The recognition follows the airline receiving a four-star rating from global aviation rating agency Skytrax, an assessment focused on cabin product quality, airport service standards, and operational improvements under Tata Group ownership.
The airline confirmed that forthcoming iterations of Tia will introduce broader multilingual processing capabilities, deeper personalization, and advanced self-service modules.
Passengers can access Tia on WhatsApp via +91 6360012345 or reach voice-supported customer care at +91 124 4435600. For complex or escalating service issues, passengers retain the option to transfer from the bot interface directly to human customer support agents.
