Air Kerala: Indian expats in Dubai launch new airline

Published: 8 July 2024

NT Bureau

DUBAI: Indian expatriates in the Gulf might soon be flying home at very affordable rates, as Air Kerala, a new low-cost airline, edges closer to becoming a reality.

Backed by two Dubai-based businessmen, Air Kerala has received an initial no-objection certificate (NOC) from India’s civil aviation ministry over the weekend, it was announced at a press conference in Dubai, reports Khaleej Times.

The NOC indicates that the airline, operating under the name Zettfly Aviation, has been granted permission to provide scheduled commuter air transport services for a three-year period.

The brainchild of the UAE entrepreneurs Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada, Air Kerala will be the first regional airline based in India’s southern state of Kerala.

“This achievement is the culmination of years of hard work,” Afi Ahmed told Khaleej Times. “My partners and I have been relentlessly working to bring this vision to life. Despite numerous skeptics who doubted us, we’ve made significant progress. The NOC is a major milestone, but there is still a long road ahead.”

Last year, Afi Ahmed, the founder of the travel agency Smart Travels, spent an impressive Dh1 million to acquire the domain name airkerala.com from a local company. Initially seeking an aggregator website, he stumbled upon the domain and decided to purchase it, thereby reigniting interest in the Air Kerala project, which was first proposed by the Kerala government in 2005.

With the NOC secured, the airline must now undertake extensive groundwork before it can commence operations.

“Our immediate steps involve acquiring aircraft and meeting the regulatory requirements to obtain our Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC),” said Ayub Kallada. “This is a crucial phase that ensures compliance with all safety and operational standards set by the aviation authorities.”

According to the businessmen, the airline will soon initiate the process of acquiring aircraft. “Initially, we plan to start operations with three ATR 72-600 aircraft,” said Afi. “We are currently exploring options in both the leasing market and direct procurement from manufacturers to ensure we have the optimal fleet for our needs.”

Afi Ahmed, Ayub Kallada, and Kanika Goyal form the board of Zettfly Aviation, bringing their extensive aviation industry experience to the table.