Akasa Air was all set to launch its international operations with the addition of the 20th aircraft in 2023, which has to be the quickest launch for an airline internationally. Earlier, one needed to have five years of operations and 20 aircraft in their fleet to be eligible for International operations; however, the guidelines now only require the airline to have 20 aircraft. Akasa closed 2023 with a fleet of 22 aircraft, just 17 months after launching operations.

Akasa will launch international operations with a flight to Doha.

Akasa has now announced the launch of its international operations. The first route for the airline to be operated internationally will be between Mumbai and Doha. The airline put the flights on sale on February 16, 2024, via their website.

The airline will launch 4X weekly flights between Mumbai and Doha, effective March 28, 2024. The airline will operate flights on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday with a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The timings of the flights are:

QP70 BOM 17:45-19:40 DOH
QP71 DOH 20:40-02:45 BOM (+1)

Commenting on the announcement, Vinay Dube, founder and CEO of Akasa Air, said,

We are delighted to announce the launch of 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.”

Akasa is reconfiguring their jets with the A++ cabin, so they are slotting their regular, 186-seat configuration aircraft on this route.

International operations are a good airline option since they make more money on international than domestic routes. Not just that, with GoFirst being out of action for the time being, it is the right time to enter, as there is a higher probability of scoring International Rights at the moment.

Bottomline

Akasa has put their first international flight, which will operate to Doha, on sale. The airline will operate a 4x weekly rotation between Mumbai and Doha, effective March 28, 2024, with a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This will make Akasa the sixth Indian airline with an International operation. Air India, Air India Express, Vistara, IndiGo and SpiceJet operate internationally.

What do you think of Akasa entering the international operations arena?

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