India's newest budget carrier Akasa begins commercial operations

Starting from Sunday, Akasa Air will operate weekly flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, a commercial hub in the neighbouring state of Gujarat

Published: Sun 7 Aug 2022, 5:08 PM

By
Reuters

India's newest airline Akasa Air aircraft prepares for take-off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on August 7, 2022. Akasa Air is making its maiden flight on August 7, backed by billionaire stock investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who's betting on the fast-growing aviation market even as fuel prices soar. — AFP

India's newest budget carrier Akasa Air, which is backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, began commercial operations on Sunday with a maiden flight from the financial capital of Mumbai to the city of Ahmedabad.

Starting from Sunday, Akasa Air will operate weekly flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, a commercial hub in the neighbouring state of Gujarat, the company said in a statement.

"We want to serve our country by creating strong transportation links which are the underpinning of any economic growth engine," Vinay Dube, founder and CEO of the airline said in the statement.

Jhunjhunwala, known as "India's Warren Buffett", has teamed up with ex-Jet Airways CEO Dube and former IndiGo head Aditya Ghosh to set up Akasa.

Akasa, which has a total of 72 Boeing planes on order, will compete directly with other budget carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoFirst.

Domestic air travel in India has made a sharp recovery this year with airlines flying over 57 million passengers in the first half, up 238 per cent from last year, government data showed. — Reuters

India's newest budget carrier Akasa begins commercial operations

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