Akasa Air Targets Kuwait Flights By March 2024

Akasa Air, backed by the late billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, is gearing up for its international debut, with plans to commence operations by the end of March 2024. CEO Vinay Dube shared the updated timeline with CNBC TV18, revealing a slight delay from the initial target set for the end of 2023.

The low-cost carrier's first phase of international flights is set to include destinations such as Kuwait, Doha, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Subsequently, the airline aims to expand its reach to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives in the second phase.

In an interview, Dube disclosed that Akasa Air will soon announce a substantial "three-digit" aircraft order. This order is expected to cover deliveries spanning from mid-2027 to the end of 2032. The airline obtained authorization from Indian authorities in September for international operations and secured traffic rights for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar the following month. However, the commencement of operations is contingent upon receiving authorization from the respective governments of these countries.

Dube acknowledged the dependency on third-party permissions from foreign nations, stating, "It’s going to be another few months, we’re hoping another three to four months. But we are a little dependent in terms of permissions we get from third parties from foreign countries." Despite these considerations, he reassured that the first phase of international flights is unequivocally slated to commence "in the first half of 2024."

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