Akasa Air was long rumored to be India’s first ultra-low-cost airline. Now for the first time, an official clarification has been given on this matter. While the airline is still waiting for the all-important Air Operators Certificate (AOC), it is expected to start operations in the middle of this year.
CEO Vinay Dubey gave an interview to The Times Group in which he dispelled speculations about Akasa’s business model. The CEO of Akasa dispelled all rumors that the company was a ULCC, saying,
“We are an LCC. Initially we were portrayed incorrectly as an ULCC, but I would say we will be a budget carrier. We have the same type of fleet, same class of service, and all the other traits Would be those who go with a typical budget carrier. But I would say what we want to do other than that is have a warm and efficient customer service, a very reliable offering to our customers, and of course very affordable. “
Read also: CHina stops several flights from US as a safety measure against Kovid-19
Similarly to other LCCs in the country, the carrier will not offer premium economy class or business class, though it will offer buy-on-board services. Vinay Dubey believes that India’s aviation sector has enough space to accommodate Akasa Air.
Dubey also believes that the company’s experienced founding team will make sound business decisions right from the start, which will be implemented over the next ten years.
Akasa airline is expected to focus more on connecting metros with tier-II cities than major trunk routes. The exact city where Akasa will focus is not yet known. However, company representatives are in talks with airports including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore as well as the Airports Authority of India.
The third wave of COVID in India has so far not had any impact on the carrier’s summer launch plans. In the second half of April, the company expects to receive its first aircraft, which is required to meet its AOC.
Akasa expects to have 23 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by March 2023 and will add 14 to 16 more aircraft every year thereafter. If Boeing is successful in delivering the 737 planes on time, all 72 aircraft will be delivered to Akasa over the next five years.
Thanks to Akasa, pilots, cabin crew and maintenance engineers are in high demand for the first time since the pandemic. In the months leading up to its planned summer launch, the carrier is likely to have no trouble filling these positions.
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/*}
};*/
})(jQuery);
,