Summary
- Akasa Air inaugurates Doha route with four weekly flights, marking a milestone moment for the airline.
- All-female crew operates the carrier’s first-ever international flight.
- Akasa Air granted rights to launch flights to Kuwait, Jeddah, and Riyadh, with plans for rapid network expansion in coming months.
Indian carrier Akasa Air has launched its first international route with a service between Mumbai and Doha. The airline announced the new route last month and will operate four weekly flights with its 737 MAX fleet.
Akasa Air inaugurates Doha route
The inaugural flight departed Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) at 17:45 IST on March 28, touching down at Hamad International Airport (DOH) at 19:40 AST. The flight was seen off with a lamp-lighting ceremony in Mumbai attended by a delegation of Asaka and BOM executives and was met by dignitaries in Doha, including the Indian and Qatari ambassadors, as well as representatives from Hamad Airport and Akasa.
Photo: Akasa Air
Neelu Khatri, co-founder and senior vice-president international at Akasa Air, commented,
“The commencement of operations from Doha marks a milestone moment in Akasa’s journey as we enter a phase of rapid global expansion. The launch of direct flights connecting Doha with Mumbai, will provide momentum to the growing demand for air travel between India and Qatar.”
The flight was operated by an all-female crew of two pilots and five cabin crew. The full schedule, with flights operating on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, is as follows:
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
|
QP70 – Mumbai to Doha |
17:45 |
19:40 |
|
QP71 – Doha to Mumbai |
20:40 |
02:45+1 |
Photo: Akasa Air
The airline adds that, with these convenient timings, Akasa passengers will be able to connect to its extensive domestic network in Mumbai with ease.
Photo: Akasa Air
As per Cirium data for April 2024, Akasa will be directly competing with four other airlines on this route – Air India, IndiGo, Qatar Airways and Vistara. India’s largest airline IndiGo currently offers the most capacity with two daily flights with its A320neo and A321neo fleet, followed by Air India, which will operate nine weekly flights with its A320neos.
Qatar Airways operates fewer flights than Air India at seven per week, but utilizes its higher-capacity A350 and B777-300ER aircraft to offer over 4,700 seats, while Vistara offers four weekly flights with its A320 fleet. In total, there will be 38 weekly roundtrips operated by all five carriers, amounting to over 16,000 weekly seats.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia rights
The airline has been granted the necessary permissions to launch flights to three additional international destinations in the Middle East – Kuwait, Jeddah and Riyadh. In a statement, Akasa added that its network will be rapidly expanding in the coming months, so watch this space.
Akasa Air Announces Doha As First International Destination Just 19 Months After Launch
The Indian carrier’s international expansion comes faster than any airline in the country’s history.
Less than two years in
The carrier’s first international route comes less than 20 months after it launched operations in August 2022. Since launching, Akasa has served almost 8 million passengers and now boasts a network of over 20 destinations.
Photo: Akasa Air
The carrier now has a fleet of 24 all-Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and will receive almost 200 more airframes having recently placed a major order for 150 MAX aircraft, adding to its existing orderbook.
Have you ever flown with Akasa Air? Where do you think the airline should begin flying to next? Let us know in the comment section!
