Unprecedented growth inducting 18 aircraft, carries over 1 million revenue passengers
Crosses the milestone of 100 daily flights across 14 destinations in India
National, 01 March 2023: Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, completed six months of operations to become the fastest growing airline in the country. With the delivery of one aircraft every 15 days, the airline has reached a fleet size of 18 aircraft and has flown over 1 million passengers since its launch in August 2022.
With 36 daily flights from Bengaluru, Akasa Air is the third largest domestic carrier in the city. The airline has flown a total of 0.5 million passengers from the city, which contributes to 35 percent of the total number of passengers flown across its network to date. With a growing demand for air travel to and from Bengaluru, the airline has significantly scaled up its operations from the city, currently connecting it with daily flights to 13 destinations across the country.
Speaking at an event to mark the airline’s first six months of operations, Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air said, “We have successfully executed our ambitious and unprecedented scale up plans over the last 200 days. As we have grown and delivered to our plans, Akasa Air has become the preferred carrier for an increasing number of travellers across the country. As India’s greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline, we will continue to strengthen our network and service offerings and extend an unmatched travel experience to our passengers. Bengaluru being our first home is special in many ways and we are proud of the growing connectivity we are able to offer from the city.
As we plan our next phase of expansion to serve India’s increasing travel demands, both domestic and international, we remain committed to our focus of connecting people, cultures and cities underscored by our warm, efficient and inclusive customer service.” he added
Fastest growing network
Six months into operations, the airline is operating more than 700 weekly flights across 14 domestic destinations including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Agartala, Goa, Vizag, Pune, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Varanasi across 23 unique routes.
Commenting on the occasion, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air said, “I am happy to report that we carried our 1 millionth revenue passenger within six months of our operations. Alongside, we are forecasted to achieve an average of 100 flights per day, starting 10th of March 2023 – the first time ever that a new airline in India has managed to breach the daily 100 flights mark at such a short span of time. With this, we will also offer 700 flights per week, well within 200 days of operations. We are on track to receive our 20th aircraft this summer and remain focussed on establishing a strong national presence, providing linkages from metro to tier 2 and tier 3 cities across the country.
Focus on warm, efficient and inclusive service culture
Since its launch, Akasa Air has continued to launch customer friendly offerings to ensure customers can experience an inclusive, warm, comfortable and efficient flying experience.
Speaking on product, service and customer experience, Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Akasa Air said, “The first six months have been extremely satisfying and it has been a privilege to bring the unique Akasa Experience to the Indian skies. Our industry-leading and customer friendly products and services have made a positive impact while creating a warm, friendly and inclusive travel experience.
Our signature buy-on-board meal service – Café Akasa, has created excitement around inflight dining that we have not witnessed before in India. Our exclusively curated multi-cuisine meals including industry-first options, festive meals and local favourites, provide customers a unique and indulgent gourmet experience in the skies. Our pet-friendly service has had over 250 pets enjoy the Akasa experience by flying across our network.
We continue to invest heavily in our digital ecosystem with significant enhancements to our web and mobile app centred around user convenience and personalisation.
Our brand new, spacious cabins with generous legroom and softer seat cushions set us apart in delivering a comfortable journey in the skies and have been well appreciated by our customers. We are committed to making travel a hassle free and inclusive experience and delight our customers with our signature customer experience” he added.
Akasa Air has been progressively expanding its network across the country, in a phased approach with a commitment towards making travel accessible in India through the introduction of routes in Tier 2 and 3 cities. The company has recently received its 17th aircraft and will have a fleet size of 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023. Over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72 aircraft.
Bookings for flights on Akasa Air are available on its website – www.akasaair.com, Android & IOS app as well as through travel agents and several OTAs across the country.
About Akasa Air
Akasa Air is India’s newest and most dependable airline, offering warm and efficient customer service, reliable operations, and affordable fares – all in the Akasa Way. Akasa’s youthful personality, employee-centric philosophy, tech-led approach, and culture of service will make this commitment a reality for all Indians. The carrier launched its first commercial flight on 07 August 2022 to support the growing demand across India.
With a commitment to being socially responsible, Akasa Air has placed a firm order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, powered by CFM fuel efficient, LEAP-1B engines. The 737 MAX family aircraft deliver superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions, fulfilling the airline’s promise of being an environmentally friendly company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies.
