Akasa Air, the youngest carrier to start services in India, is eyeing international operations by middle or latter half of 2023, the airline’s Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Praveen Iyer, said on Thursday.

International operations will be possible when the airline has a minimum of 20 aircraft in its fleet. Fleet addition is expected by the latter half of 2023. 

The airline received its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in June and operated its first commercial flight on August 7 . Akasa currently has six aircraft and plans take its fleet size to 18 by March 2023.

20-aircraft criterion

Regulations in India mandate that a domestic airline needs a minimum fleet size of 20 aircraft before it is allowed to operate flights outside the country.  An earlier requirement—to have a fleet of 20 and also fly in the domestic circuit (within India) for at least five years before initiating international operations—was done away with in 2016. 

“We all know you need 20 aircraft to do international (operations). We will look to start international operations by the middle or later part of next year. Which routes, which destinations... I think it all comes down to where bilaterals are on both sides,” Iyer said. 

A MAX (Boeing) aircraft will allow Akasa to operate flights which are about five-and-a-half hours away from India.

The airline continues to be well capitalised, its senior executives said.  The airline will establish Delhi as a new destination on its network and inaugurate its first flight on the Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes from October 7. There will be daily flights on these two routes. 

The airline has announced eight destinations so far, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Delhi, Agartala and Guwahati being covered with 11 non-stop routes.

Akasa Air on Thursday also announced that it will allow pets—domesticated cats and dogs—in the aircraft cabin and also carry them as belly cargo from November 1. Booking for pets opens October 15 onwards.

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