Akasa Air, India’s newest carrier that began domestic flights in August 2022, has announced it will commence international services starting March 28 on the Mumbai-Doha route. This makes Akasa the quickest Indian airline to expand overseas.
The airline said its maiden international route to Qatar’s capital will operate four times weekly. Akasa also secured rights to fly to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. But airport constraints prevent flights to Dubai currently.
First to Use Relaxed International Flying Rules Significantly, Akasa becomes the first Indian carrier to exploit the Centre’s updated 0/20 norm introduced in 2022 for overseas flights, which requires an operational fleet of just 20 planes instead of the earlier 5 years of domestic flying and 20 aircraft.
The new rules intend promoting the global ambitions of Indian aviation entities besides tourism and trade in a shorter timeframe. Akasa founder Vinay Dube suggested the airline’s upcoming Qatar flights represent a step in that direction.
Analysts Feel Move Signifies Maturing Ecosystem Experts opine that Akasa commencing international services in barely 19 months underscores the growth potential and maturing competitive landscape of Indian aviation that allows nimble new entrants to scale up rapidly.
While the Tata-owned Air India and older peers took much longer to spread wings globally, Akasa’s agility highlights the sector’s ongoing transformation.
