New Indian airline to operate first passenger flight from Aug 7; bookings now open

Akasa Air, India's newest airline carrier, is set to launch its first commercial flights from August 7 onwards, as per a statement released on Friday. The first of these will be from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, it added.

Backed by billionaire business magnate Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, the airline carrier signed a $9 billion deal with Boeing in November 2021, for the purchase of 72 of its Max aircraft, immediately after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation greenlit the same.

The statement also said that the airline carrier had begun ticket sales for 28 flights that would operate weekly on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route from August 7, as well as for 28 flights on the Bengaluru-Kochi route from August 13 onwards. These flight operations will be carried out with two Boeing 757 Max flights, of which one is scheduled for delivery later this month.

"We will adopt a phased approach to support our network expansion plans, progressively connecting more cities, as we add two aircraft to our fleet each month, in our first year," said Praveen Iyer, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, to PTI.

Earlier this month, the airline also received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the DGCA. The grant of the AOC is the final step of a comprehensive and rigorous process laid down by the aviation authority and marks the satisfactory completion of all regulatory and compliance requirements for the airline's operational readiness.

"This is not just a significant milestone for Akasa Air and Indian aviation, but also a testimony to the story of a vibrant and resilient India," Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air, said in a statement.

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