Meet T. Mohammed Haris — The Owner of Al Hind Air
Meet T. Mohammed Haris, the visionary entrepreneur behind Al Hind Air, India’s newest airline to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Al Hind Air has captured the spotlight as one of the newest entrants poised to reshape India’s domestic aviation market. Al Hind Air is set to join a growing list of carriers challenging the long-standing dominance of major players like IndiGo and Air India.
His journey is a classic “rags-to-riches” story, evolving from a small ticketing agent in Kerala to the head of a multi-billion dollar travel empire now set to take to the skies.
Who is the Man Behind Al Hind Air?
T. Mohammed Haris — also known as Mohammed Haris Thattarathil — is the Founder, Chairman and principal promoter of the Alhind Group of Companies, the Kerala-based conglomerate that owns and is launching Al Hind Air.
Born in Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala, Mohammed Haris came from a humble background. Despite his current standing as a tycoon, his academic roots were in both the arts and sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History and Economics and surprisingly, a degree in Pharmacology. This unique educational blend eventually led him into the highly technical and service-oriented world of travel and tourism.
From Travel Services to an Airline Vision
The Alhind Group began in 1992 as Alhind Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd., a small ticketing and travel services company. Under Haris’s leadership, it expanded over three decades into a diversified travel and tourism powerhouse — serving millions of customers and operating offices across India, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region (including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bangladesh and Kuwait).
With annual billing reportedly exceeding ₹20,000 crore and an expansive global footprint, the Alhind Group’s evolution reflects Haris’s entrepreneurial drive and deep industry experience.
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Expansion: By 1995, he expanded operations to the Middle East, capitalizing on the high travel demand from Kerala’s expatriate community.
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Scale: Today, the Alhind Group is a massive conglomerate with a turnover exceeding ₹20,000 crore. It operates over 130 offices worldwide, including major hubs in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.
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Industry Influence: Beyond business, Haris is the Founder General Secretary of the Indian Haj Umrah Association and serves on the Calicut Airport Advisory Committee.
Leadership Beyond Business
Beyond corporate pursuits, Mohammed Haris holds a key role within the community. He is the Founder General Secretary of the Indian Haj Umrah Association, representing one of India’s important pilgrimage travel bodies — underscoring his influence in both commercial and socio-religious spheres.
In 2021, he was nominated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to the Calicut Airport Advisory Committee, acting as a representative of the travel and tourism sector in airport-related planning and development.
Al Hind Air: Ambitions and Plans
With the NOC now in hand, Al Hind Air is moving toward final regulatory approval via the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) — a critical milestone before commercial flights can begin.
The airline has announced plans to launch initially as a regional commuter airline, operating ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft from its base at Cochin International Airport (Kochi). The initial fleet is expected to include three aircraft, with expansion to seven within roughly a year of launch.
By focusing on under-served regional routes and deeper connectivity, Haris’s vision for Al Hind Air is part of a broader push to enhance competition and passenger choice in India’s aviation ecosystem.
Al Hind Air: India’s Latest Airline
With the recent NOC from the Civil Aviation Ministry (announced by Minister Ram Mohan Naidu in December 2025), Al Hind Air is positioning itself as a game-changer for regional and international connectivity.
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Operational Hub: Headquartered in Kochi (Cochin International Airport).
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Initial Fleet: Starting with ATR 72-600 aircraft for regional domestic routes.
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Expansion Plan: The airline aims to bridge the South India-Gulf corridor, eventually introducing Airbus A320neo jets for international flights to Dubai, Sharjah, and Riyadh.
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Strategic Advantage: Unlike most startups, Haris’s airline has a built-in customer base through Alhind’s existing travel agencies, which handle roughly ₹600 crore in air ticketing every month.
Looking Ahead
As Al Hind Air prepares to enter a competitive and capital-intensive industry, all eyes will be on how Mohammed Haris and his team navigate regulatory hurdles, operational challenges, and market dynamics — with the potential to introduce a new chapter for regional aviation in India.
