First commercial flight from Akasa Air lifts off; heralds a new era of empowerment for the Indian consumer

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Inaugurated by Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia-ji

Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, today commenced its commercial operations with its first flight taking off from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, bound for Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The maiden flight took off from Mumbai at 10:05 am with a scheduled arrival at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 11:25 am.

As a symbolic gesture to mark the occasion during the ceremony, Akasa Air’s boarding pass was handed over to the Honourable Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia-ji, and the Honourable Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, General (Dr) V. K Singh-ji. Both guests of honour addressed the gathering and officially flagged off the event. The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis-ji extended his wishes on the commencement of Akasa Air’s operations while addressing the gathering. The ceremony was also graced by the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation Shri Rajiv Bansal-ji, and Joint Secretary(J), Ministry of Civil Aviation Smt. Usha Padhee-ji.

Commenting on the commencement of commercial operations, Vinay Dube, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air said “Today marks a significant milestone in Akasa Air’s journey as we successfully commence our commercial operations with our maiden flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. This is not just a testament to the women and men of Akasa that have made this day possible, but also a testament to India’s ongoing economic transformation and of the country’s rapidly progressing civil aviation landscape.

Mr. Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air holding the symbolic boarding pass of Akasa Air’s maiden commercial flight with a young, aspiring pilot to commemorate the occasion, in the presence of Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and Mr. Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Akasa Air at Mumbai Airport

The Akasa story is aligned with the nation’s journey towards making air travel affordable through PM Modi-Ji’s clarion call – Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik. We want to serve our country by creating strong transportation links which are the underpinning of any economic growth engine”.

“We are thrilled to finally begin our commercial journey and bring alive our vision of supporting India’s economic progress and building India’s greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline. Akasa Air’s empathetic and youthful personality, employee-friendly culture, customer-service philosophy, and tech-led approach will make this commitment a reality for us. We are now focussed on delivering a flying experience unlike anything witnessed in the Indian skies thus far”, he added.

Starting today, Akasa Air will offer weekly flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Progressively adding cities and routes to its network, the airline has already announced a total of five routes in five cities, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. With a fleet induction plan of two 737 MAX aircraft each month, the airline is looking to establish a strong pan-India presence, with a focus on the metro to tier 2 & 3 route connectivity. The fleet size will be raised to 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 and over the next four years, the airline will add 54 aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72.