India’s Akasa Air to operate its first international flight to Doha on March 28
Flight reservations are currently available, with return fares starting at Rs 29,012 from Mumbai
NT Bureau
Doha: India’s Akasa Air announced on Friday that it will operate its first international flight between Mumbai and Doha from March 28. This makes the budget carrier the first Indian airline to take to global skies within 19 months of commencing its operations.
The carrier operated its first flight on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route on August 7, 2022.
Akasa Air, a 19-month-old airline, will operate four non-stop flights weekly linking Mumbai with Doha.
The company said in a release that flight reservations are currently available, with return fares starting at Rs 29,012.
The launch of operations to Qatar marks the airline’s new phase of growth. Akasa said it is the first Indian airline to take to international skies within 19 months of commencing operations.
“We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination – Doha, to our growing network. The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travellers from the two countries, facilitating tourism, commerce and strengthening bilateral ties,” said Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air.
Akasa’s foray into Qatar signifies the next stage of growth, as the airline strive towards the goal of ranking among the world’s top 30 airlines by the end of this decade, Dube added.
Commencing operations in Qatar aligns with the goals of Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030, which seeks to position the country as the fastest-growing tourism destination in the Middle East by 2030.
In August last year, Akasa Air had announced adding the 20th aircraft to its fleet, which made the carrier eligible to fly internationally. In January, Akasa Air added wings to its international flying ambitions as the new Indian airline recently welcomed two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to its growing fleet.
Backed by star trader and investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala who died a few months after the launch, Akasa Air has been nurturing plans to expand its network to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other parts of South Asia — Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, keeping single-class configuration on the routes.
Akasa has secured a 4% market share in India, while IndiGo maintains a dominant 60%, and the Tata Group airlines collectively hold 26%.
Akasa had earlier made a bit of history in the Indian aviation sector, which can be called a graveyard of airlines because so many have gone up and then nosedived in a few years. Last year, it became the first airline in the 120-year history of global aviation to reach from zero to 20 aircraft within a year of operation, The Economic Times reported.
